US President-elect Donald Trump is set to return to the White House on January 20, with reports suggesting plans to ban transgender individuals from serving in the military—a move that could impact approximately 15,000 personnel stationed worldwide, including in combat zones. The gender debate between Republicans and Democrats has long been a contentious issue.
Incoming White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, however, dismissed reports of a definitive plan. “No decisions on this issue have been made,” she told Fox News Digital. “These unnamed sources are speculating and have no idea what they are actually talking about. No policy should ever be deemed official unless it comes directly from President Trump or his authorised spokespeople,” she added
According to The Sunday Times, sources claim Trump’s administration plans to issue an order on his first day back in office that would deem transgender personnel medically unfit for service, leading to their discharge. This prohibition would also prevent transgender individuals from joining the military at a time when recruitment numbers remain critically low, with only the Marine Corps reportedly meeting targets.
Trump’s latest pick for secretary of Defence, Fox News host Pete Hegseth, has drawn criticism for his views on diversity and inclusion in the military. Speaking to podcast host Shawn Ryan, Hegseth criticised “wokeism,” saying it prioritised social justice over combat readiness. “Being transgendered in the military causes complications and differences,” he said, pointing to policy changes that began under the Obama administration.
During his first term, Trump announced via Twitter (Now X) in 2017 that transgender individuals would no longer be allowed to serve “in any capacity,” citing “tremendous medical costs and disruption.” The policy banned individuals with gender dysphoria unless they hadn’t undergone a sex change and were stable in their biological sex. The Supreme Court upheld it in 2019, but President Joe Biden later reversed it.
The transgender issue was a key focus of Trump’s recent presidential campaign as well. One advertisement targeted biological males in women’s sports, with the narrator saying, “Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you.” Experts believe the advertisement appealed to swing voters, strengthening Trump’s stance on social issues.
Trump’s stance on transgender issues extends beyond the military. In a February 2023 video on Truth Social, he vowed to block federal funding for gender-affirming care, calling such procedures “chemical, physical, and emotional mutilation.”
“I will then ask Congress to permanently stop federal taxpayer dollars from being used to promote or pay for these procedures and pass a law prohibiting child sexual mutilation in all 50 states,” Trump said in a video posted on his Truth Social account.