President Donald Trump on Friday directed the Pentagon to extend a ban on transgender individuals joining the military but gave Defense Secretary Jim Mattis authority to decide the future of openly transgender people already serving. According to the news outlet, the White House is expected to send the guidance in the coming days, which would mark the first official instruction from the White House on how the United States military is supposed to act on Trump's announcement on Twitter last month that openly serving transgender troops would no longer be allowed to serve in the armed forces. According to the Wall Street Journal:

The White House memo … directs the Pentagon to deny admittance to transgender individuals and to stop spending on medical treatment regimens for those currently serving, according to U.S. officials familiar with the document … [Defense Secretary James] Mattis under the new policy is expected to consider “deployability”—the ability to serve in a war zone, participate in exercises or live for months on a ship—as the primary legal means to decide whether to separate service members from the military, the officials said… The Pentagon’s military service chiefs hold a range of views on social issues, including on open service by gays and women in combat.
President Donald Trump issues a presidential memorandum that stops funding of sex reassignment procedures for military personnel, and that denies entry of transgender individuals into the military. President Trump announced this policy change via Twitter in late July. Two LGBT rights organizations filed a federal lawsuit two weeks ago arguing this policy change is unconstitutional because it denies transgender service members equal protection and due process.