Local Reaction to President Trump’s Tweets on Banning Transgenders from the Military

President Trump says transgender people are no longer accepted or allowed to serve in any capacity in the U–S Military

FARGO, ND — President Trump said transgender people are no longer accepted or allowed to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military.

People in the metro and officials nationwide have shared their opinions.

“When we see a move like this from the administration, from way high up, from the top of the administration, it gives me a lot of pause,” said Chelsea Pace, the spokesperson for the Pride Collective and Community Center in Fargo.

President Trump announced the ban on his Twitter account Wednesday.

“This morning’s tweets reveal a president with no respect for the courageous men and women who risk their lives,” said Democratic House Minority Leader, Nancy Relosi.

“I was shocked,” said Kristen Beck, who is a retired Navy SEAL. “I just can’t believe he came out with it on Twitter.”

Chelsea Pace is one of the many people affected by this decision and knows the impact it can have in North Dakota.

“We live in a state here in North Dakota where you can be evicted from your home or fired from your job for being LGBTQ+ and we still don’t have protections,” she said.

“As a U.S. Navy veteran and a transgender person, I highly abhor the president’s actions,” said a member of the Tristate Transgender group in Fargo.

In three tweets, the president stated the military cannot be burdened with medical costs and disruption of transgender people.

“My attitude is that they are human beings,” said Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah. “They have every right to and I don’t see any problem with that.”

Republican Governor Burgum does not support the plan.

Senator Al Franken said if you want to serve this country and protect the freedoms, then you should be able to do so without having to hide who you are.

“Donald Trump is right about one thing,” he stated. “Actions do speak louder than words. Our president’s latest actions are a full on assault on the LGBT community.”

“We need to honor, not shame, the men and women who put their lives on the line for the country they love,” said Senator Heitkamp.

“There’s a statistic that can be found on the Human Rights Campaign website that says the Department of Defense is the single largest employer of transgender people in the United States,” said Pace.

The Defense Department is forwarding all questions to the White House.

People are vocalizing their concerns on Twitter, using #transrightsarehumanrights