LONDON, November 25. /TASS/. The administration of US President-elect Donald Trump may fire all transgender people from the Armed Forces, The Times reported.
According to the edition, "the order could come on his first day back in the White House, January 20. There are believed to be about 15,000 active service personnel who are transgender. They would be medically discharged, which would determine that they were unfit to serve." This move comes at a time when nearly all branches of the Armed Forces are facing personnel shortages. The publication also noted that high-ranking officers would be among those laid off. Trump, 78, has criticized the practice of political correctness in the military, arguing that some senior officers prioritize equality and inclusiveness over battle planning.
Pentagon nominee Pete Hegseth has publicly railed against weak and "effeminate" leadership in the Armed Forces, saying that the next commander-in-chief will have to get his house in order. He also said that medical care for transgender people is a waste the Pentagon can't afford. Focusing on issues that affect only a small number of people in the military is an example of "transgender madness," he added.
Trump's representatives declined to provide comment to The Times.
Current US President, Democrat Joe Biden, will hand over the presidency to Republican Trump on January 20, 2025. Trump won the US elections on November 5, defeating the candidate from the ruling Democratic Party, Kamala Harris. Trump first served as head of the US administration from 2017 to 2021. He will become the second president in US history to hold the highest state office with a break. Previously, only Grover Cleveland (the 22nd and 24th president in 1885-1889 and in 1893-1897) was able to achieve this. Trump will become the 45th and 47th presidents of the United States.