By Sarah Baafi
President Donald Trump had signed four executive orders aimed at reshaping the U.S. military, including banning transgender service members from serving in the armed forces. Speaking aboard Air Force One during a return flight to Washington from Florida, Trump declared the changes were necessary to “restore focus and discipline” within the military. “We are going to build a military that is strong, proud, and unapologetically American,” he said.
One of the most controversial measures reinstates a ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, a policy Trump first introduced during his presidency in 2017 but was later reversed under President Joe Biden. “To ensure we have the most lethal fighting force in the world, we will get transgender ideology the hell out of our military,” Trump said during a GOP retreat in Florida earlier in the day. Critics have already condemned the move as discriminatory and harmful to military readiness.
In addition to banning transgender troops, Trump’s orders target diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs within the armed forces. He called DEI initiatives “lawless nonsense policies” that have no place in America’s military institutions. The executive orders direct a comprehensive review of DEI practices at military academies and across all branches of service, with an eye toward eliminating them entirely. “We need warriors, not woke bureaucrats,” Trump remarked.
Another significant measure reinstates service members who were discharged for refusing COVID-19 vaccinations. Trump’s order not only allows them to return to duty but also provides back pay for those affected. “These brave men and women were unfairly targeted for standing up for their personal freedoms,” Trump said. The move is expected to impact thousands of former service members who were removed under vaccine mandates implemented during the pandemic.
