Growing GOP backlash to transgender troop ban underscores Trump’s political miscalculation

The following article by James Hohmann with Breanne Deppisch and Joanie Greve was posted on the Washington Post website July 27, 2017:

THE BIG IDEA: President Trump tweets first and asks questions later.

Donald Trump speaks July 26, 2017, at the White House. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

His surprise announcement Wednesday that he will ban transgender people from serving in the military in any capacity, reversing an Obama administration decision to allow them to serve openly, caught the Pentagon and Capitol Hill off guard.

— Reflecting how dramatically the national conversation on LGBTQ rights has shifted in recent years, the news drew swift rebukes from several leading Republicans in the Senate.

War hero John McCain, the preeminent Republican voice on national security, took a break from battling brain cancer to send this statement: “The President’s tweet … regarding transgender Americans in the military is yet another example of why major policy announcements should not be made via Twitter. … There is no reason to force service members who are able to fight, train, and deploy to leave the military—regardless of their gender identity. We should all be guided by the principle that any American who wants to serve our country and is able to meet the standards should have the opportunity to do so—and should be treated as the patriots they are.” Continue reading “Growing GOP backlash to transgender troop ban underscores Trump’s political miscalculation”