Trump's Transgender Military Ban Prompts Right Wing Twitter Reactions
President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday via Twitter that the U.S. military would no longer “accept or allow” transgender people.
“After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you,” wrote the president in three tweets early Wednesday.
READ: Transgender Parent Fights For Child's 'Non-Gendered' Birth Certificate
While many civil rights organizations and veterans panned the move, the accounts of some right-wing Twitter supported the president.
Ann Colter retweeted this one:
BUT TRUMP HOW WILL WE WIN WARS WITHOUT DEEPLY MENTALLY ILL SOLDIERS?!?!
— J Burton (@JBurtonXP) July 26, 2017
Former Blaze host Tomi Lahren felt that taxpayers shouldn't cover the cost of transgender military health care.
The military is not about the wants of the individual, it's about the mission. Taxpayers should not be on the hook for hormone treatment!! https://t.co/cJWFu5BSmb
— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) July 26, 2017
And other conservatives spoke out in support of the announcement as well:
Prepare for the far left heads to explode over Trump ban of transgenders in military.
— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) July 26, 2017
"The military can now focus its efforts on preparing to fight and win wars" @tperkins https://t.co/NAGPKXw5kM
— FRCAction (@FRCAction) July 26, 2017
They were asking the Government to Pay - Who does the Government get their $ from? The Taxpayer.. so Again I am NOT paying for your surgery https://t.co/hDWPMxRYeQ
— Peter Boykin (@peterboykin) July 26, 2017
If people with medical conditions aren't allowed to serve in the military, why should people with identity issues be allowed?
— Pink Lady 4 Trump♥ (@pink_lady56) July 26, 2017
LGBT #trans
"The U.S. Military doesn't conform to you, but you conform to it"
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) July 26, 2017
Trump's decision on Transgender Americans is completely valid.
The move is a reversal of a 2016 decision by President Barack Obama that allowed current transgender soldiers to serve openly and set up a deadline for onboarding new transgender service members. The deadline was pushed back and it appears as if Trump's pronouncement will end it.
READ: Chelsea Manning Reacts To Trump's Transgender Ban: How Many Serve In US Military?
It is not know how many transgender service members there are currently, but estimates run from 1,320 to over 15,000 from studies by think tanks and civil rights organizations.
Congress is currently debating a $700 billion spending bill to fund the military and several conservatives want language in the bill barring the Pentagon from paying for gender reassignment procedures.
In spite of vocal advocates of Trump's ban, other Republicans and conservatives panned the move. Republican transgender celebrity Caitlyn Jenner hit on Trump's hypocrisy.
There are 15,000 patriotic transgender Americans in the US military fighting for all of us. What happened to your promise to fight for them? https://t.co/WzjypVC8Sr
— Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) July 26, 2017
Republican and veteran Sen. John McCain said that making the policy announcement via Twitter was irresponsible.
Any American who meets current medical & readiness standards should be allowed to continue serving - my full stmt: https://t.co/6rHm5OWQzc
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) July 26, 2017
Sen. Orrin Hatch responds to Trump ban, saying he doesn't think "we should be discriminating." https://t.co/N2c7USw0T2 #trans pic.twitter.com/QNgqcibggO
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) July 26, 2017
Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch pushed back on the announcement as well.
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