U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the 2025 Republican Issues Conference at the Trump National Doral Miami on January 27, 2025 in Doral, Florida. Agence France-Presse
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE — US President Donald Trump said Monday he had signed an executive order ridding the military of what he called “transgender ideology,” in a potentially major setback for LGBTQ rights.
In a series of orders related to the military that Trump told reporters he had signed on Air Force One, he also called for the building of a US version of Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.
Article continues after this advertisementThe Republican signed further orders reinstating service members dismissed for refusing to take the Covid vaccine, and extending a wider government crackdown on diversity programs to the armed forces.
FEATURED STORIES GLOBALNATION Senate OKs bill granting PH citizenship to Chinese linked to Pogo GLOBALNATION Famous Chinese streamer shocks fans with real look at awards show GLOBALNATION Filipino wife of detained Chinese: He’s not a spyREAD: US stops issuing gender-neutral ‘X’ passports under Trump order
“To ensure that we have the most lethal fighting force in the world, we will get transgender ideology the hell out of our military,” Trump told a Republican congressional retreat earlier in Miami.
Article continues after this advertisementTrump has previously promised to bring back a ban on transgender troops, but it was not immediately clear what specific steps were contained in the new order, which has not yet been published.
Article continues after this advertisementA White House official with him said the order involved “eliminating gender radicalism in the military.”
Article continues after this advertisementTrump’s orders came at the start of his second week back in the White House and on the day a welcome ceremony was held at the Pentagon for his new defense secretary, military veteran and Fox News personality Pete Hegseth.
READ: Trump decrees end of diversity programs, LGBTQ protections
Article continues after this advertisement“Thank you for your leadership Mr. President. We will execute!” Hegseth — who was confirmed last week despite concerns over his inexperience, and alleged record of heavy drinking and domestic violence — said on X.
Transgender Americans have faced a roller coaster of changing policies on military service in recent years, with Democratic administrations seeking to permit them to serve openly while Trump has repeatedly sought to keep them out of the ranks.
The US military lifted a ban on transgender troops serving in the armed forces in 2016, during Democrat Barack Obama’s second term as president.
Under that policy, trans troops already serving were permitted to do so openly, and transgender recruits were set to start being accepted by July 1, 2017.
‘Patriots’But the first Trump administration postponed that date to 2018 before deciding to reverse the policy entirely, sparking criticism from rights groups.
Trump claimed that transgender service members were disruptive, expensive and eroded military readiness and camaraderie among troops.
Trump’s Democratic successor Joe Biden moved to reverse the restrictions just days after he took office in 2021, saying all Americans qualified to serve should be able to do so.
While the number of transgender troops in the American military is fairly small — with estimates of some 15,000 out of more than two million uniformed service members — their dismissal would reduce US forces at a time when the country is already facing difficulties recruiting new personnel.
Biden’s outgoing defense secretary Lloyd Austin appeared to criticize Trump’s plans during a farewell address earlier this month, saying: “Any military that turns away qualified patriots who are eager to serve is just making itself smaller and weaker.”
bwin slotsTransgender issues have roiled US politics in recent years, as states controlled by Democrats and Republicans have moved in opposite directions on policies ranging from medical treatment to what books on the topic are allowed in public or school libraries.
Trump has meanwhile repeatedly promised to build a version of the Iron Dome system that Israel has used to shoot down missiles fired by Hamas from Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The Caixin purchasing managers survey showed new manufacturing orders fell at the fastest pace in two years in September.
But he ignored the fact that the system is designed for short-range threats, making it ill-suited to defending against intercontinental missiles that are the main danger to the United States.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
“We need to immediately begin the construction of a state-of-the-art Iron Dome missile defense shieldwinph,” Trump said in Miami, adding that it would be “made right here in the USA.”
READ NEXT DMW vows support for 17 Filipino seafarers freed from Yemen Tokyo police arrest members of big sex worker scout group EDITORS' PICK DeepSeek: Chinese AI firm sending shock waves through US tech Public warned anew vs side effects of injectable glutathione NBA: Amen Thompson has night to remember as Rockets beat Celtics DOJ drops Dengvaxia cases vs Garin, 2 others s sonder the antidote to main character syndrome? Quimbo: Blanks in 2025 budget only for final computation MOST READ BOC intercepts undeclared foreign currency worth Php 24.20M Lack of slots makes entry into ‘Pisay’ tougher Famous Chinese streamer shocks fans with real look at awards show Woman celebrates 2 months with pig kidney transplant Follow @FMangosingINQ on Twitter --> View comments