President-elect Donald Trump may ban transgender army personnel from the United States military services. According to international media reports, Trump is preparing to sign an executive order for the same, which could come on his first day at the office.
The new order could lay off around 15,000 transgender military personnel from the US Military. The Republican is expected to take office in January next year after defeating Vice President Kamala Harris.
During Trump's first term, he banned transgender people from joining the US armed forces, but those already in post were allowed to continue their services. The ban was reversed by Joe Biden. Under the reported new proposals, transgender people would also be banned from joining the military.
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“These people will be forced out at a time when the military can’t recruit enough people,” a source familiar with US president-elect Donald Trump told a newspaper. “Only the Marine Corps is hitting its numbers for recruitment and some people who will be affected are in very senior positions”.
After Trump left office, President Biden in 2021 issued an executive order to overturn the ban in his first week. However, the new order might lead to the total removal of all transgender individuals from across the service, regardless of their age, health, service, or other concerns.