In a significant shift for US military policy, President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders on Monday, including one aimed at removing what he described as “transgender ideology” from the armed forces.
The move marks a stark reversal of the policies championed by previous administrations that allowed transgender Americans to serve openly in the military.
Addressing a Republican retreat in Miami, Trump declared, “To ensure that we have the most lethal fighting force in the world, we will get transgender ideology the hell out of our military.”
The order stipulates that “adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex” is incompatible with the military’s core values, including discipline and honor.
Trump’s order also reinforced his longstanding stance against the inclusion of transgender individuals in the military, referencing what he called “radical gender ideology” and asserting that such identities undermine both mental and physical readiness.
In particular, the policy claims that a service member’s gender identity should align with their biological sex to maintain a commitment to an “honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle.”
Alongside this, Trump signed an additional order reinstating service members who had been dismissed for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine.
He also ramped up a broader government initiative to clamp down on diversity programs within the military, arguing that they erode military cohesion and combat readiness.
In another high-profile directive, Trump pledged to develop a US version of Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, a project that has been championed by the former president despite questions regarding its applicability to America’s defense needs, particularly against long-range missile threats.
These orders come at the beginning of Trump’s second term in the White House and coincide with the welcoming ceremony of his new Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News personality. Hegseth, who was confirmed last week despite controversies surrounding his personal history, voiced strong support for Trump’s leadership on X (formerly Twitter).
The move to target transgender troops represents a continuation of Trump’s policy reversals from his first administration. In 2016, under President Barack Obama, the US military lifted its ban on transgender service members.
However, Trump reversed that decision in 2017, and his successor, President Joe Biden, reinstated protections for transgender service members in 2021.
Biden’s Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, recently criticized such exclusions, arguing that “any military that turns away qualified patriots who are eager to serve is just making itself smaller and weaker.”
The issue of transgender rights in the military has been a contentious topic in the US, with states divided on policies ranging from healthcare access to public education.
Trump’s new orders are likely to reignite debates over the treatment of transgender Americans, especially in the military context.
Trump’s announcement also underscored his determination to push for a domestic version of the Iron Dome, an ambitious project that has stirred some skepticism due to its focus on short-range threats rather than the intercontinental missile defense that is a more immediate priority for the US.
