US President Donald Trump is expected to sign four executive orders that will reshape the military. These orders include banning transgender service members from serving in the US armed forces, dismantling the military’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs, and reinstating back pay for service members discharged for refusing COVID-19 vaccinations.
On January 20, during his first hours in office, Trump revoked an executive order signed by former President Biden in 2021 that allowed transgender people to serve and prevented the military from discharging soldiers based on their gender identity. Trump also signed a sweeping executive order recognizing only two genders, male and female.
Upon arriving at the Pentagon on Monday, the new Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, told reporters that more executive orders are forthcoming.
“Today, there are more executive orders coming on removing DEI inside the Pentagon, reinstating troops who were pushed out because of Covid mandates, iron dome for America — this is happening quickly, and as the Secretary of Defense, it’s an honor to salute smartly as I did as a junior officer and now as the Secretary of Defense to ensure these orders are complied with rapidly and quickly,” Hegseth said.
Monday’s executive order, according to the fact sheet, argues that allowing transgender people to serve openly in the military has undermined military readiness and “unit cohesion,” an argument that has long been used to prevent marginalized communities, including Black and gay Americans and women, from serving.
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