US defense officials have disclosed that President-elect Donald Trump intends to sign an executive order on his first day back in the White House, Jan. 20, mandating the removal of all transgender personnel from the US military, according to The Sunday Times. The directive would affect an estimated 15,000 active-duty service members who would face medical discharges, deemed unsuitable for service.
The proposed order would go beyond Trump's previous directive from his first administration, which halted transgender recruitment but grandfathered existing service members. Under the new policy, even those with decades of military service would be required to leave, despite widespread recruitment challenges across nearly all military branches.
A source close to Trump's planning explained that this mass discharge would occur at a time of significant recruitment shortfalls across most service branches, with only the Marine Corps currently meeting its targets. The source noted that many affected service members currently hold vital leadership positions.
Pete Hegseth, Trump's choice for defense secretary, had in the past expressed alignment with such policies. A Fox News presenter and former National Guard major, Hegseth wrote in his recent book that "the next commander-in-chief must restore order," while criticizing what he describes as "weak and feminine leadership" in the military.
Veterans' advocacy groups are sounding alarms about the policy's potential impact on military readiness. Rachel Berman, who leads the Modern Military Association of America, emphasized that such a sudden and massive personnel reduction would create significant operational challenges. She pointed out that with the military already falling short by 41,000 recruits last year, the discharge of 15,000 experienced service members would severely impact unit cohesion and critical capabilities. According to her assessment, rebuilding this lost expertise could take up to two decades and require billions in additional funding.
