Posted on 07/28/2017 9:34:04 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd
Defense Secretary James Mattis was caught off guard by President Trump's announcement that he was banning transgender people from serving in the military, according to a New York Times report.
Mattis, who was on vacation at the time of Trump's decision, only had one day's worth of notice before Trump tweeted his announcement of the policy, the paper reported.
The report described him as "appalled."
Sources close to the Defense secretary told the Times that Mattis was infuriated by the tweets, and saw them as an insult to transgender Americans currently serving in the military.
On Wednesday morning, Trump wrote on Twitter that “after consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military."
"Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail,” Trump added. “Thank you." A letter from Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford on Thursday indicated that the policy would not be changed until the White House issued further "guidance."
“There will be no modifications to the current policy until the president’s direction has been received by the secretary of defense and the secretary has issued implementation guidance,” Dunford wrote.
Mattis, according to the Times, had been quietly lobbying Republicans for months to defeat a GOP-led amendment to the 2017 spending bill that would prevent the military from spending money on transition surgery or hormone therapy for transgender service members. The report states that Mattis initially resisted the policy allowing transgender Americans to serve in the armed forces, but accepted that the policy was to remain in place.
His predecessor, former Obama Defense Secretary Ash Carter, ripped the Trump administration for reversing the policy.
“To choose service members on other grounds than military qualifications is social policy and has no place in our military,” Carter said in a statement. “There are already transgender individuals who are serving capably and honorably.
"This action would also send the wrong signal to a younger generation thinking about military service.”
Carter wasn't the only critic of Trump's announcement. Sen John McCain
(R-Ariz.) joined several colleagues to criticize the policy, as well as the decision to announce it in tweets.
“There is no reason to force service members who are able to fight, train and deploy to leave the military — regardless of their gender identity,” McCain said Wednesday after the announcement.
He called Trump's announcement “yet another example of why major policy announcements should not be made via Twitter.”
Thousands of service members could be affected by Trump's new policy. A 2016 study found that anywhere from 2,000 to 11,000 active-duty service members identify as transgender. The study noted that not all of these service members will seek transition surgery or hormone therapy while part of the military.
Agreed.
LJ.
Nice to hear from you. How have you been?
Still no time to Freep much?
Mad Dog. Like, rabid?
Never a dull moment.....I would like some dull moments though.
Sometimes I have a bit more time, sometimes not. I hope all is well with you and yours.
BTW - Was it you I gave the Moral Absolutes and Homo Agenda ping lists to? I gave to someone and freepmailed abut the mists of time are getting in the way (of my brain).
I lost my lists due to computer frying or something of that nature.
I have them.
I’ve not used them in years. Seems Ping Lists have sort of fallen by the wayside here at FR. I’m FReep mailing you the link.
BTW. Any word from Wagglebee? I miss him.
i agree, he sidestepped the question, which is telling. We’ll see if he backs or opposes Trump’s trans ban...
Speaking of your source, what's your take on what Scaramucci said about Bannon?
We will. I’m hoping for the best. Mattis is known by some as the “Warrior Monk”.
I wasn’t aware of that until my husband mentioned it recently.
My response to him was “So, he’s still available?”
Me too.
I remember an article from months ago in which Mattis is directly quoted as saying that PC stuff/social engineering, or words that clearly meant that, were NOT for the military.
I miss him too. I hope he comes back some day. But after almost two years, I think it’s been, maybe not. I hope all is well with him.
He’s a mensch, no doubt about it.
He was an important member of this site. He may never be back, but I am glad that he was once here and wish him the very best.
He was the very very best debating with pro-deathers. It was incredible to read his informed and shall we say incisive comments.
He was absolutely the best. I loved reading his posts.
Uniparty brain washing to demand the integration of mental illness into the military...if he really said all this to the Times. Who knows if the report is even true.
Time to deal with it.
And, if this is true (doubtful), we are supposed to feel sorry for him that his vacation got cut short by his boss?
That’s what I was going to post. ;)
That’s what I was going to post.
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