Earlier today, President Donald Trump announced that the "United States Government will not accept or allow [t]ransgender individuals to serve in any capacity" in the U.S. military. Heritage analysts Tom Spoehr, director of the Center for National Defense; Emilie Kao, director of the DeVos Center for Religion & Civil Society; and Ryan Anderson, senior research fellow, released the following statement in response to this announcement: 

"President Donald J. Trump prudently followed the advice of military leaders who determined that the last administration's policy did not advance military readiness. At a time when growing foreign threats are stretching our military’s resources, our priority should be on maintaining military readiness and directing taxpayer funds towards mission-critical purposes. Respecting the dignity of all people does not mean subjecting taxpayers to the tremendous medical costs of sex reassignment and allowing the enlistment of individuals whose resilience to the rigors of combat is uncertain."