The Republican has ordered the reinstatement of servicemen fired for refusing to get vaccinated against Covid, and the extension of broader government restrictions on "diversity programs" to the armed forces.
"To ensure that we have the most lethal fighting force in the world, we will remove transgender ideology from our military forces," Trump said earlier in Miami at a Republican convention.
In his order, Trump claimed that the armed forces "have been affected by radical gender ideology" and that "many mental and physical conditions are incompatible with active military service."
"Adopting a gender identity incongruent with an individual's sex conflicts with a soldier's commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in private. A man's claim to be a woman and his demand that others respect that lie is inconsistent with the humility and selflessness required of a servicemember," the document added.
"Thank you for your leadership, Mr. President. We will follow orders!" said Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth. | BGNES, AFP
