He also ordered troops to be reinstated who had been booted for refusing COVID vaccines, outlined new rollbacks in diversity programs and provided for the deployment of a space-based missile defense shield for the U. Both Trump and Hegseth had described parts of the anticipated orders throughout the day, but the exact language did not drop until late Monday evening.
A transgender ban had been widely expected, and the order Trump signed largely sets in motion a future ban — but directs Hegseth to come up with how that would be implemented in policy. Trump had tried to impose a ban on transgender troops during his first term, but it was tangled up in the courts for years before being overturned by then-President Joe Biden shortly after he took office.
During his first term in office Trump established U. Space Command and the U. Space Force, which just marked its fifth birthday. Space continues to be a priority for the president, who has now directed the Pentagon to begin to develop the capability to shoot down missiles from space. For years the U. It has at times declassified information about both countries' efforts to create offensive weapons to disable critical U.
The Space Force is in the process of building a low-orbit ring of redundant satellites that can more quickly track and detect potential missile launches. But establishing a way to shoot missiles down from space is something the U. The system was never developed due to cost and technological limitations. At least 8, troops were forced out of the military in for refusing to obey a lawful order when they declined to get the vaccine. Notices advising them they could return were sent out in , but just have reenlisted.
The reinstatement process for those ousted for refusing the vaccine requires that they meet military entry standards, unless Trump opts to change that. He and Hegseth, however, have persistently stated that the military must not reduce standards. But it could take a bite out of the budget if more do now, since it requires back pay. They would have to meet weight, fitness, medical and other requirements, and they could be refused if they now have a criminal record or other disqualifying factor.
