US President Donald Trump on Monday (27 January) signed a series of executive orders bringing sweeping changes to the military, including reinstating a ban on transgender service members, eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes, and restoring with back pay the service members discharged for refusing Covid-19 vaccinations.
Trump confirmed that he signed the orders aboard Air Force One during his return flight to Washington from Florida, reports CNN.
The move, which had been anticipated following reports by White House officials, marks a significant shift in the Pentagon’s policies under his administration.
The executive actions coincide with the recent appointment of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, who was sworn in on Saturday.
Hegseth has long advocated for extensive cultural changes within the armed forces, pledging to remove "woke" influences and dismantle DEI initiatives. Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon shortly after assuming office, he indicated that further executive orders were imminent.
“Today, there are more executive orders coming,” Hegseth stated. “On removing DEI inside the Pentagon, reinstating troops who were pushed out because of Covid mandates, iron dome for America—this is happening quickly. As Secretary of Defense, it is an honour to salute smartly, as I did as a junior officer, and now to ensure these orders are implemented swiftly.”
Trump first imposed a ban on transgender service members in 2017, a policy reversed by then-President Joe Biden in 2021.
However, Trump wasted little time in reinstating the prohibition, signing an order revoking Biden’s directive just hours after taking the oath of office for his second term last week.
The latest order signed on Monday, according to an official, goes further than his previous ban, setting new military standards on gender pronouns and asserting that both mental and physical readiness require the exclusion of transgender personnel.
The administration's sweeping changes reflect Trump’s broader commitment to reshaping military culture and priorities, setting the stage for further policy shifts in the coming weeks.
