WASHINGTON — The commandant of the Coast Guard said Tuesday that he would continue to support transgender troops under his command, despite Twitter posts by President Trump saying the government would not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the military.

The commandant, Adm. Paul F. Zukunft, said his office had reached out to the 13 Coast Guard members who self-identify as transgender after seeing the president’s tweets.

“That is the commitment to our people right now,” Admiral Zukunft said. “Very small numbers, but all of them are doing meaningful Coast Guard work today.”

He made the comment during an address at the Center for Strategic and International Studies here on Tuesday morning. The admiral’s speech was first reported by The Hill, a newspaper serving Congress.