GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said on Sunday he would not reinstate a ban on transgender individuals serving in the U.S. military.
“This Week” anchor Martha Raddatz asked Ramaswamy about his position on the issue during an interview on ABC News’ “This Week.”
“Would you reinstate the ban on transgender members of the military?” Raddatz asked.
Vivek Ramaswamy comes out in support of trans rights, saying he will not ban them from the U.S. military. pic.twitter.com/tpd1owIpoO
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) June 4, 2023
“I would not reinstate a ban on transgender members,” Ramaswamy responded. “I would, however, be very clear that for kids, that’s where my policies are very focused. We should not be foisting this ideology onto children.”
“But you would not ban transgender members of the military?” Raddatz pressed.
“I would not,” Ramaswamy said.
Former President Donald Trump announced early during his presidency that he would ban transgender individuals from serving in the U.S. military.
“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,” Trump wrote on Twitter on July 26, 2017. “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. Thank you.”
The policy went into effect in 2019, but President Joe Biden signed an order during his first week in office to reverse the ban and the Pentagon implemented the new rules in late March 2021.
