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Trump to Sign Orders Banning 15,500 Transgender Troops, DEI Programs; Hegseth Confirmed 51-50 by Senate with Vance's Vote

Jan 27, 2025, 01:24 PM

President Donald Trump is set to sign two executive orders on Monday that will prohibit transgender individuals from serving in the military and eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs within the armed forces. These orders expand on a previous directive signed by Trump on his first day in office, which revoked a 2021 Biden administration policy allowing transgender people to serve openly. The new executive orders will establish military standards on pronouns and gender identity, directly impacting an estimated 15,500 transgender service members by citing concerns over mental and physical readiness, including the need for up to 12 months for treatments post-transition surgery. The orders also direct Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who was confirmed by a 51-50 Senate vote with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote, to ban the use of invented pronouns, prohibit transgender individuals from using facilities designated for the opposite sex, and update medical standards to prioritize readiness and lethality. Additionally, the orders will ban all DEI bureaucratic bodies in the military and require a review of academic curricula at U.S. Service Academies to remove radical DEI and gender ideologies, citing low morale and the lowest recruiting numbers since 1940.