US President Donald Trump is preparing to sign a series of four executive orders that will dramatically reshape military policies, including a controversial ban on transgender people serving in the armed forces.
According to two White House officials who spoke with CNN, the orders will also target the military’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs and address issues related to COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
This move comes just days after Trump revoked a 2021 executive order signed by former President Biden that allowed transgender individuals to serve in the military without discrimination.
That order also protected service members from being discharged based on their gender identity.
Trump’s new policy, expected to be signed soon, will reinstate the ban on transgender people serving openly in the military and will argue that their inclusion harms military readiness and unit cohesion—arguments often used to prevent marginalized groups, such as women, Black Americans, and LGBTQ+ individuals, from serving.
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Trump’s approach also includes a push to remove DEI programs from the Pentagon.
New Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth spoke to reporters after arriving at the Pentagon on Monday, announcing that more executive orders are on the way, and emphasizing their swift implementation.
The new order will go further by prohibiting transgender women from using facilities such as bathrooms, changing rooms, or sleeping quarters designated for females, further restricting transgender service members’ rights.
In addition to the transgender ban, the executive orders will address the reinstatement of service members who were discharged for refusing to comply with COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
These sweeping changes come as Trump continues to reshape military policies with a focus on what he considers “traditional” values in the armed forces.
