U.S. President-elect Donald Trump stands with retired Marine Gen. James Mattis following their meeting at the main clubhouse at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., November 19, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar President Donald Trump's announcement on Wednesday morning to "not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military" seems to have come as a shock to defense officials contacted by Business Insider and other outlets.

Although Trump announced he had consulted with his top military personnel — apparently including Secretary of Defense James Mattis — on the decision, other Pentagon officials seemed out of the loop.

“The tweet was the first we heard about it,” a defense official told the Wall Street Journal.

CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr similarly reported that Pentagon officials were initially unaware of the ban.

Asked directly for a statement, a Pentagon spokesperson bounced Business Insider back to the White House on all questions about the ban.

"We refer all questions about the President's statements to the White House. We will continue to work closely with the White House to address the new guidance provided by the Commander-in-Chief on transgender individuals serving the military. We will provide revised guidance to the Department in the near future," the statement read.

The ban has already generated considerable backlash and confusion. A report from Politico cites multiple congressional sources as saying Mattis opposed the ban, and may not have been party to the decision.