Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would not allow transgender individuals to serve in the US military in any capacity, reversing a policy put in place by Barack Obama a year ago. The Pentagon appeared to be caught off guard by Trump’s announcement, and deferred to the White House when reached for comment. “To choose service members on other grounds than military qualifications is social policy and has no place in our military. Mattis was on vacation at the time of Trump’s announcement, signaling a lack of coordination between the White House and the relevant agencies. “Military service is a privilege, not a right.”

Source: The Guardian July 26, 2017 13:23 UTC