Donald Trump has absolutely no business making decisions about the United States military, and this latest ban preventing transgender soldiers from serving is yet another perfect example.
Democrats and Republicans alike think this is a terrible decision. And for someone who has never served his country and who also raised two grown sons who have not served their country, you’d think he might actually listen to those who have—who say that this is a phenomenally stupid idea. One such person is Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, who served in Iraq and lost both of her legs in combat.
In an interview with Anderson Cooper on Wednesday, Duckworth did not mince words and was very clear that Trump is not fit to be the nation’s commander in chief. Why? Because, as someone who has first-hand experience, she knows that gender identity doesn’t matter at all when lives are on the line.
When I was bleeding to death in my helicopter after that RPG ripped through the cockpit of the aircraft, and an American came to save my life, it didn’t matter to me if they were gay, if they were straight, if they were transgendered, it only mattered that they wore the uniform of the United States military, and I will always remember that.
In addition to pointing out how this is disruptive and damaging to the cohesion of the troops, Duckworth points out the sheer hypocrisy in Trump’s math. Somehow the Pentagon seems to have no problem paying for Viagra, but all of a sudden the cost of medical care for trans soldiers is cost prohibitive? Spare us, please.
Duckworth also referenced the fact that, by one estimate, the cost of health care for transgender service members was around $5.6 million, while in a single year, the Pentagon spent over $40 million on Viagra. “So, if you want to talk about costs, there are other places where you could cut,” she quipped.
This is bigoted, asinine and embarrassing—and the most telling part is that there is absolutely no plan for implementation whatsoever. The White House has no clue how they will remove the transgender soldiers who are already serving, nor kick out current recruits. And that’s what happens when a dangerous clown like Trump gets elected to the presidency. Kudos to the folks who thought it would be a good idea to have a president who announces military policy via Twitter.
Watch Sen. Duckworth’s full interview below.
