Democrats slam President’s decision

U.S President Donald Trump has signed a memo ordering the Pentagon to ban an Obama-era plan of recruiting transgender individuals in the military, a move Democrats said was “cruel” and meant to “hurt and humiliate” American soldiers.

In a memorandum, a copy of which was released by the White House, Mr. Trump directed the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the U.S. Coast Guard, to return to the long-standing practice on military service by transgender individuals that was in place prior to June 2016.

Framework dismantled

Mr. Trump alleged that his predecessor Barack Obama dismantled the Defense Departments’ established framework by permitting transgender individuals to serve openly in the military, authorising the use of its resources to fund sex-reassignment surgical procedures, and permitting accession of such individuals after July 1, 2017.

Last month, Mr. Trump had announced his decision in this regard on Twitter.