President Trump says transgender people can not serve "in any capacity" in military

In a string of tweets on Wednesday morning, the president said that he has made the decision after speaking with military experts and generals.

President Donald Trump has taken to Twitter to say that he will not be allowing transgender citizens to serve in the U.S. Military.

Trump added that "Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and can not be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail".

Defense Secretary James Mattis announced last month that he was delaying enactment of the plan to begin allowing transgender individuals to join the USA military.

The Department of Defense policy also allowed service members who were changing their gender to receive coverage for "medically necessary care and treatment".

"We don't want barriers unrelated to a person's qualification to serve preventing us from recruiting or retaining the soldier, sailor, airman or marine who can best accomplish the mission", said then Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, according to CNN.

A Pentagon directive under the administration of former President Barack Obama was going to allow transgender men and women to start serving in the military over the summer, according to the Military Times.

The deadline to fully implement the reversal of the ban on transgender people was July 1. The enrollment of new trans recruits was supposed to begin July 1 of this year, but the current Defense secretary, James Mattis, chose to delay that by six months.

In a memo explaining the delay, Mattis insisted that his decision does not "change policies and procedures now in effect".

Mattis also promised during his confirmation hearing that he wouldn't reverse his predecessor's decisions unless a service chief brings him hard evidence the policy is having a negative effect.

The delay alarmed transgender advocates. Twenty-four Republicans joined with Democrats to defeat the amendment to the annual defense policy bill.

Other far-right Republican House members have now submitted amendments to ban funding of transition procedures.

Mattis opposed the amendment, confirming he called its sponsor, Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.), at least once on the issue. "Transgender service members have been serving, openly and authentically, since October 2016 with no impact on readiness or lethality of the force".