Donald Trump planning to 'kick transgender troops out of US military' on return to White House

25 November 2024, 08:14 | Updated: 25 November 2024, 08:19

Donald Trump is laying the foundations for an executive order to remove all transgender people from the United States military, according to reports.

It comes as the president-elect plots a war on the “woke elements” of the US military, arguing DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) is detrimental to the force.

Around 15,000 transgender people are believed to hold active service roles in the military, this executive order would see them all medically discharged.

If Mr Trump passed this executive order, which could come as early as his first day in office, transgender people would also be banned from enlisting in the military.

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The Republican passed a similar measure during his first time in office, banning transgender people from joining the armed forces.

That bill, however, allowed transgender people already serving to keep their jobs.

“These people will be forced out at a time when the military can’t recruit enough people,” a source told the Times.

“Only the Marine Corps is hitting its numbers for recruitment and some people who will be affected are in very senior positions.”

Mr Trump and his allies rallied against the so-called “woke” elements of the US military during his election campaign, accusing some parts of the US military of caring more about DEI than defence.

“Should a trans ban be implemented from day one of the Trump administration it would undermine the readiness of the military and create an even greater recruitment and retention crisis, not to mention signalling vulnerability to America’s adversaries,” Rachel Branaman, executive director of LGBTQ+ campaign group Modern Military Association of America told the Times.

“Abruptly discharging 15,000-plus service members, especially given that the military’s recruiting targets fell short by 41,000 recruits last year, adds administrative burdens to war fighting units, harms unit cohesion, and aggravates critical skill gaps.

“There would be a significant financial cost, as well as a loss of experience and leadership that will take possibly 20 years and billions of dollars to replace.”

Around 0.5 per cent of the US population identifies as transgender, the number is higher among Gen Z’s at 1.4 per cent.

Fox News host Pete Hegseth, 44, who has been nominated to be Mr Trump’s defence secretary has said he will remove parts of the military he deems “weak” and “effeminate.”

Transgender people serving in the military have said members of their community play a “vital role” in defending the nation.

One active serviceman in the US navy told the Times: “I have four years left on my contract.

“But you take 15,000 of us out — there’s more but that’s the number that is always mentioned — that’s 15,000 leadership positions, every one of us play a vital role.

“There are junior enlisted personnel to high-end officers. You pull one of us out, that means others have to cover. These jobs could take months or even years to fill.”