John Fetterman calls on Trump to rescind transgender military ban order, saying it’s not about ‘woke’

Sen. John Fetterman called on President Donald Trump to rescind his executive order that paves the way for a ban on transgender troops, saying that allowing them to serve is not “woke s—.”

Trump signed an executive order Monday night directing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to revise the Pentagon’s policy on transgender troops, likely setting in motion a future ban on their military service. The order says that identifying as transgender “is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.”

Trump largely banned transgender people from serving in the military during his first term, a prohibition that former President Joe Biden overturned in 2021.

Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, has shown a willingness to collaborate with the Trump administration on other issues but drew a line at LGBTQ rights.

“I’m going to defend and lean in for the trans community now, because right now it may not be popular to do that,” he said.

In a video posted to X, Fetterman stood with both POW/MIA and LGBTQ pride flags, and called on the president to “allow and honor the inherent dignity of the soldier,” regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

“And remember, that does make for a military that’s fully compatible with being lethal and to win wars,” he added.

Fetterman urged viewers to remember other civil rights battles over the decades, like when racial desegregation, openness about sexual orientation, and permitting women in combat were controversial in the military.

Though, those times don’t all seem too far away, since Hegseth has clearly stated that women should not serve in combat before softening his stance during nomination proceedings for his role. A ban on women in combat positions was lifted in January 2016 during President Barack Obama’s administration.

Prior to his current role, Hegseth wrote in his book War on Warriors that “transgender people should never be allowed to serve.”

Fetterman also emphasized in the post on X that he wants the Department of Defense “to be the most lethal force in human history,” but that he will “never vote to degrade anyone.”

“It’s not woke s—,” Fetterman said. “It’s the inherent dignity of every service member regardless of race, gender, who they love, or how they identify.”

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The new order will affect only a tiny fraction of America’s 2.1 million service members, but it has taken on outsize importance to Trump and his administration, who see transgender forces as a sign the military is “woke” — a slang term meant to signal awareness of social justice that conservatives have made into a derogatory word — or not focused on training and winning wars.

The order was instantly condemned by an array of activist groups as exceptionally egregious and ultimately harmful to military readiness. They say transgender people have been serving successfully for years, including openly on and off for the last decade.

Six transgender active duty service members and two former service members who seek reenlistment filed the first lawsuit challenging the order on Tuesday.

This article contains information from the Associated Press.