Trump Plans To Remove 15,000 Transgender Troops From U.S. Military

President-elect Donald Trump is planning an executive order to remove all transgender members of the U.S. military, according to defense sources.

The order could come as soon as Trump’s first day in office, January 20.

There are about 15,000 active personnel who identify as transgender and could be medically discharged, deeming they are “unfit to serve.”

The order could lead to a ban on transgender people in the military. This comes at a time when all branches of the American armed forces are missing recruitment targets.

Trump says he is moving away from “woke” policies in the military, charging that officers are more interested in diversity, equity, and inclusion than planning to fight.

In Trump’s first term, he prevented transgender people from joining the armed forces, but those already serving were able to continue serving.

President Joe Biden rescinded the order.

According to the Pentagon, there are about one million active-duty personnel in the military, and around 2,000 service members were diagnosed with gender dysmorphia in 2021 when Biden lifted the transgender ban.

LGBTQ military organizations that fought Trump’s first transgender plan are aware of what is to come.

Rachel Branaman, the executive director of the Modern Military Association of America, which supports LGBTQ military personnel and veterans, said that a transgender ban would undermine the readiness of the military and showcase America’s vulnerability to its enemies.

Branaman also commented on the recruitment loss the armed sources are experiencing: “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.”

Trump has nominated Pete Hegseth, the former Fox News host and former National Guard major, as defense secretary. Hegseth has called the recent leadership in the military weak and said Trump will “clean house.”