Despite claiming to be a supporter of the LGBTQ community, Trump announced today that he will reinstate the ban on transgender individuals serving in the armed forces. This is a reversal of a policy that has been under review from the Obama administration.
In a series of tweets, Trump said that the medical expenses would burden the military.
After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow......
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017
....Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming.....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017
....victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017
Another reversal of Obama's work in the White House
Under Obama, the Defense Department had approved of a policy to end the ban on Transgender People serving openly.
In order to allow the Pentagon to decide how to accept new transgender recruits, however, the Defense secretary Ash Carter allowed for a year-long review process.
Trump claims the cost of transgender recruits would be burdensome to the military. However, according to CNN, the Department of Defense's health care expenditures in 2014 were $49.3 billion and the estimated cost of transgender related services is $2.4 million to $8.4 million. At most, that is 0.017% of the Defense Department's health care spending.
Several months ago, Trump also reversed an Obama policy allowing transgender students to use whichever bathroom they choose. This is yet another setback for transgender individuals.
Trump and the LGBTQ community
During his campaign last year, Trump was adamant in being "respectful and supportive of LGBT rights."
Thank you to the LGBT community! I will fight for you while Hillary brings in more people that will threaten your freedoms and beliefs.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 14, 2016
The LGBTQ community is not happy with the announcement of the ban and is storming Twitter with responses and support for the transgender community.
Over 2,000 trans people already serve in the military. It isn't about cost. It's about dehumanizing one of our most vulnerable populations.
— Evette Dionne 🤔 (@freeblackgirl) July 26, 2017
Like all bans that target trans folks, this is difficult if not impossible to enforce & only puts a ppl at risk
— Cameron Esposito (@cameronesposito) July 26, 2017
In this case, soldiers
What about being trans creates an "undue" burden on the military? Trans people are people too and right now...they are under attack.
— Symone D. Sanders (@SymoneDSanders) July 26, 2017
A distraction from the health care debate?
Some people also believe that this is a distraction from the Health Care Bill that the Trump administration has been trying to pass.
YES the trans announcement attempts to distract from healthcare debate. YES it still matters. We have complex brains; we can handle both.
— Kate O'Neill (@kateo) July 26, 2017
Although the Better Care Reconciliation Act, the bill that Republicans have been working on for months, failed to pass the Senate vote last night, there is another vote today for a clean repeal of the spending and insurance coverage expansion of Obamacare. There would be no replacement.
This bill is also expected to fail, but the next step would be a skinny repeal of Obamacare, the most likely end result of the debate. This would mean an undoing of the individual mandate, the employer mandate, and the tax on medical devices.
Trump's controversial health care bill has caused a lot of debate between parties in the last few months.
Between the Trump administration's health care bill proposal and this military ban on transgender people, Trump seems to be incredibly concerned with the costs of health care.
All of this comes in a timely manner since Senator John McCain was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor and still proceeded to vote to take health care away from millions.
