Washington. President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to revise the Pentagon's policy on transgender troops, likely setting the stage for a future ban on their military service.

Additionally, Trump ordered the reinstatement of troops who had left voluntarily or been discharged for refusing COVID-19 vaccines, outlined rollbacks in diversity programs, and called for the deployment of a space-based missile defense shield — all on Hegseth's first day in office.

Trump and Hegseth had previewed some parts of the anticipated orders throughout the day, but the full details weren’t revealed until late Monday.

Transgender Order
A transgender ban had been widely expected, and Trump’s order mainly sets the stage for a future ban, tasking Hegseth with developing how it will be implemented.

Trump stated that military service by individuals identifying as a gender other than their biological sex “conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle” and harms military readiness, necessitating a revised policy.

Trump had initially attempted to ban transgender troops during his first term, but legal challenges tied up the policy in courts for years. The ban was eventually overturned by President Joe Biden shortly after taking office.

Lambda Legal and the Human Rights Campaign, which represented transgender troops in previous legal battles, vowed to fight the new order.

“We’ve successfully blocked such efforts before, and we’ll do so again,” Lambda Legal attorney Sasha Buchert said. “This move is not only cruel, but it compromises national security.”

DEI Initiatives
Trump also signed an executive order abolishing all programs, initiatives, and mentions of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) across the Defense Department and the Coast Guard.

The order aims to eliminate “race-based preferences” and prevent divisive concepts, such as gender ideology and race or sex stereotyping, from being promoted.

Defense and homeland security secretaries are tasked with issuing guidance for implementing the order within 30 days. A review of DEI-related actions is expected within 90 days, and the secretaries must report to the White House in six months.

The Pentagon had already begun removing DEI content from training programs. Controversy erupted when videos about the Tuskegee Airmen and WWII Women’s Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) were removed from the Air Force’s basic military training courses, though they will be reinstated after edits.

 

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