US President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly preparing to issue an executive order on his first day in office, aiming to remove all transgender individuals currently serving in the U.S. military. According to The Times, the decision could potentially lead to the dismissal of thousands of service members, despite the military's ongoing struggle to meet recruitment targets.

This move revisits a policy Trump first proposed during his presidency in 2017, when he announced that the U.S. military would no longer "accept or allow" transgender people to serve, citing concerns over “tremendous medical costs and disruption.” Although the ban was implemented in 2019, it allowed transgender personnel already in the military to remain in service. However, under President Joe Biden, the policy was reversed, permitting transgender people to serve openly.

Now, with Trump set to assume office again, sources suggest he plans to undo Biden's order and enforce the ban, which could impact around 15,000 transgender service members currently serving in the U.S. armed forces. 

Critics of the move warn that the decision could worsen an already dire recruitment crisis in the military.

Executive director of Modern Military Association of America, Rachel Branaman said “Banning trans people from the military would undermine the readiness of the military and create an even greater recruitment and retention crisis, not to mention signaling vulnerability to America’s adversaries.”

Branaman also warned that firing over 15,000 service members would put additional strain on military units, damage unit cohesion, and leave critical skill gaps.

Trump’s inauguration is set to take place on January 20 at the U.S. Capitol, the same site where the violent January 2021 riots erupted following his defeat in the presidential election.