Trump: “Transgender Individuals” Can’t Serve in U.S. Military

As with so many of his pronouncements, Trump dropped a major piece of policy on Twitter this morning:

After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow……

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017

….Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming…..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017

….victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017

This, of course, is abhorrent in its own right as a discriminatory policy, but there’s also something ugly in the way he’s detonating a bombshell designed to rile the left as a blatant distraction from the healthcare debacle currently dominating the news cycle. It’s no different from the GOP bathroom bills—it’s explosive, and controversial, and a perfect shield as the party passes its dangerous economic policies.