Report: Mike Pence Is The Driving Force Behind Trump's Transgender Ban For The U.S. Military
Andrew Husband 07.26.17 2 years ago 11 Comments
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When Donald Trump announced a new ban on transgender members in the U.S. military Wednesday, he claimed in the first of three tweets that he'd "[consulted] with my generals and military experts" before making the decision. According to the general response from Defense Department officials and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain, however, they had no idea the president's ban was coming. A new report by The Daily Beast instead hints that the so-called "generals" and "military experts" behind the new policy were actually Vice President Mike Pence and Chief Strategist Steve Bannon.
Per The Daily Beast, White House sources claim Pence "has been pushing hard for this kind of policy shift in the military" for some time. So too, unsurprisingly, has former Breitbart executive turned Trump campaign chairman Steve Bannon, who now serves on the White House staff. What's more, another source indicated that the transgender ban would do well "with his base," especially leaders of Christian far-right groups and socially-conservative voters. Considering Trump's recent campaign rally in Ohio (and others prior, though following his November election victory), this doesn't seem all that surprising.
It sure as hell surprised officials at the Pentagon, the Defense Department and the Senate Armed Services Committee, all of whom are typically informed of major policy shifts in advance. According to the Wall Street Journal, one official said Trump's Wednesday morning tweets "[were] the first we heard about it." Though that's not to say they didn't know the White House was considering it, as Defense Secretary Jim Mattis asked the administration for six months to study the possible effects of transgender military enlistment back in June. Even so, as one official explained it to the New York Times, Mattis' request didn't hinge on an eventual ban, but merely time to "finesse" the situation.
TOPICS#Politics#Donald Trump
TAGSdonald trumpLGBTLGBTQMike PencePoliticsSteve Bannontransgendertransgender rights