Saturday, October 24, 2026

The military’s quiet rebellion against Trump’s anti-trans orders

The military’s quiet rebellion against Trump’s anti-trans orders

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2026/10/23/800116799/news/the-militarys-quiet-rebellion-against-trumps-anti-trans-orders/ 

The military’s quiet rebellion against Trump’s anti-trans orders

by Oliver Willis
Staff
106
Share:




Save
25 Comments
Add Daily Kos to Google
With the Capitol in the background, Kali wears a trans equality flag in her hair while attending a rally for the Trans Day of Visibility, on the National Mall, Monday, March 31, 2025, in Washington."I'm here because I'm trans and it's a day to be visible," she said, "our rights, everyone's rights, are under attack." (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
A person wears a trans equality flag in their hair while attending a rally on the National Mall in 2025.AP

The Trump administration is facing an unexpected obstacle in its crusade to segregate the military and kick out transgender troops who have signed up to defend their country—and that obstacle is the armed services themselves.

The New York Times reports that review boards set up to execute President Donald Trump’s orders to consider the cases of transgender troops before ultimately removing them are, in at least two branches of the armed services, not giving the administration the rubber stamp it anticipated.

In 12 cases that have come before the Navy and the Marines, boards have voted to retain troops nine times. The Trump purge has been more successful in the Air Force and Army, where troops are more likely to be removed.

Former Air Force lawyer Rachel VanLandingham explained the quiet rebellion to the Times, “We are seeing them nullify a process they see as unjust.”

Marine Staff Sgt. Damien Contreras, who was singled out by the administration for removal but whose review board determined he “remains qualified,” explained the mindset of his fellow servicemembers to the outlet.

“They see I’ve always done my job, I’ve deployed, I’ve mentored other Marines, followed the rules. They say, ‘Hey, this is a good Marine, why wouldn’t we retain him?’” he said.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth listens at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, Tuesday, July 21, 2026, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, shown in July.AP

Contreras’ statement underlines the destructive stance of the administration. If the American military wants to continue to be the most powerful fighting force in the world—fulfilling Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s endless ranting about retaining “war fighters”—shouldn’t able and willing transgender servicemembers be a key part of the equation?

The decision by these review boards to defy Hegseth and Trump is in line with earlier reporting that for all the public bravado expressed by the two Republicans, rank-and-file members of the military do not have respect for the men and their dictates.

To be sure, the boards’ findings can be overruled by political appointees, but the sheer act of quiet defiance undermines years of conservative rhetoric purporting that the movement has the unified support of the armed services.

While attempting to root out transgender service members, Hegseth has also acted to block promotions that were slated to occur for Black and female officers. The former Fox News host who once bragged that he never washes his hands has even put in rules about beard length and shaving that would disproportionately single out Black soldiers for removal.

In a time of peace, the right wing’s push to turn the military into something resembling a conservative safe space consisting of only straight white men (with appropriate testosterone levels) might still be controversial, but Hegseth’s ideas are being implemented while America is stuck in yet another war in the Middle East, with no end in sight.

If battlefield triumph is the end goal—and that’s the entire point of having such a well-financed military—you wouldn’t undermine the fighting force by drumming out the best and the brightest.

But that is precisely what Trump and Hegseth are trying to do, and some of the troops seem to have had enough.

Fake accounts. Fake news. You can help stop it.

A foreign influence operation tried to use Daily Kos to spread propaganda, but we caught it. Catching them takes constant work. Bots, fake accounts, and disinformation campaigns hit our site regularly and our team finds them and shuts them down. We don't have a billionaire backer or a paywall to pay for that work, we rely on readers like you.

Your contribution keeps independent, progressive media running and gives the truth a fighting chance. Give $5 today.

$
OR
Donate with
5 Tags
2 Groups Republished
Planet Trans TransAction

Was this story worth reading?

Recommending and sharing stories helps us decide which stories are most important to show our readers.

106
Share:




Conversation

|

All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. The views expressed in comments are those of the individual authors and don't necessarily reflect the views of Daily Kos.

All Comments

  1. Comment by univark.

    When Lewendowski cancelled the media contract of the small woman owned business that did the Coast Guard's recruiting in September 2025 and gave it to his pals at higher cost, the number of online hits dropped by 80% and the the number of recruits by 50%. The Coast Guard Commandant was not happy. The Coast Guard has the highest standards of all the national services, so recruiting is critical to their existence. Screwing it up for apparently being woke doesn't provide for smooth sailing.

  2. Comment by ecortez.

    More and more service members won't reup and recruiting goals will become harder and harder to meet. Soldiers and would-be soliders see the culture wars, see what happened to the sailors on the Abraham Lincoln, worry about being ordered to deploy domestically against their fellow Americans, and so on. They listen to Pete Hegseth and want no part of his bullshit. Not to mention parents and even on-base spouses of troops being seized and deported by ICE.

    Ultimately we will end up with the same kind of motley crew that makes up the Russian military, serving in a system that's just as corrupt. And with Hegseth killing the drone warfare unit, doubling down on testosterone and battleships, it'll be the exact opposite of the lethal fighting force he claims to want.

  3. Comment by NC Doug.

    I think it's understandable, and clear to me, that these men have a point.

    Trump, Vance, Rubio, and Hegseth are all compensating for a tiny 8-inch-long dick. Because I know for a fact that when all four of them get a total erection over the handsome, slim, muscular, tight-assed men in uniform, the cumulative length of their four appendages would come to almost 8 inches. I'm sure of it.

  4. Comment by No Straight Lines.

    While I've never served, I'm somehow not surprised the Marines are the organization to defy the directive. It seems that to a Marine, the fact that an individual first chose to volunteer for the Navy, then volunteer again for the Marines and be good at their position is more than enough to keep a person regardless of what gender they present as.

  5. Comment by ProfPupdog.

    Well, we CAN'T have men going into women's foxholes!

  6. Comment by Judge Moonbox.

    The lesson that people SHOULD learn is that the Armed Forces have their own way of determining whether someone is good enough to serve; and that standard flat-out contradicts the hatemongering of the Republican astroturfing strategists and the religious right people who think that an ancient text fragment that supports their own hatred is more important than actual results.

  7. Comment by bpollen.

    If you don't look good, you don't fight good!

    Sorry, Petey, but the prettiest soldiers are not apt to be the best soldiers.

    • Reply by Judge Moonbox.

      Heseth talked about getting rid of the "beardos." Excuse me, but weren't Generals Grant and Sherman beardos?

    • Reply by bumpa.

      Maybe Hogs-breath isn’t able to grow a beard. Which would explain his obsession with testosterone and virility.

      s/… kinda

  8. Comment by sue56.

    I see the biggest problem as Not with trans in the military, but with testosterone minded neanderthals. Come 2028, with the ice crap and some military following blindly, Does krasnov have enough to Jan6 us all again? Or worse?

    I don't mean to be a nervous nelly or a pearl clutcher......but do not become complacent just because We WILL, win the midterms.

    We MUST keep fighting CONTINUALLY and CONSTANTLY!! 🌎✌🏼

  9. Comment by Penciltucky.

    Did the Pentagon ever have a makeup studio before Kegsbreath came on board?

    • Reply by MDGluon16.

      Ummm no.....that is why they had to waste our money building one

  10. Comment by Kelli Anne Busey.

    Some of the best military has to offer was targeted by tRump and kegsbreath for removal. Why, you might ask? Because they have morals and courage and they happened to be transgender.

  11. Comment by Dejah.

    About a year after we split, the ex transitioned. He had done a whole military career in the closet. He had been in the closet, our whole marriage. He had to pretended to be someone he was not. He used me as a beard and subjected me to frequent abuse so I would not look too closely at him.

    He held a top-secret security clearance. Every moment of every day that he was in the closet while in the military holding a top secret clearance, he was a grave security risk, because blackmail could have taken down his whole house of cards.

    The reality here is that transgender troops have always served and will always serve. The question is whether they will serve openly, with honor, and securely. Or if they will serve closeted, in secrecy, and as a security risk to them and everyone around them. As a retired-Navy ex-spouse, here are some words. I thought I would never say: Thank heavens for the Navy and the Marines. They are squared away.

    • Reply by Laszlo Zoltan.

      your post says a lot about you; your strength of character, your sense of loyalty and commitment and courage too... you are a true gem in a world of fakes.

  12. Comment by blueoregon.

    At the library today, I read an interesting article about Dan Driscoll's tenure at the DOD in Rolling Stone (sorry, no link on site) and he says about Trump and Hegseth, it's all artifice with them, they turned up their nose at modern warfare for the culture wars. Thanks for the post.

  13. Comment by Earational1.

    Nothing about either *Rump regime screams "Best and Brightest". It just screams word salad repeatedly until it goes moldy and decays...much like *Rump.

  14. Comment by stevemb.

    Amateurs talk about tactics.

    Professionals take about logistics.

    Morons talk about testosterone.

  15. Comment by Tom Soper.

    Members of the military are not supposed to follow illegal orders. Their sworn allegiance is to the Constitution. I am a proud US Army veteran and am very glad we didn’t have leaders like Trump & Hegseth when I served.

  16. Comment by elizawhig1.

    Well done Navy and USMC. Stealth maneuvers!

  17. Comment by Anne Elk.

    Hegseth is going down

    • Reply by jayden.

      Well, there have been rumors.

      He's likely to get the boot soon.

    • Reply by jfromga.

      I hope the rumors are true. He’s a particularly vile mix of incompetence and massive ego.

    • Reply by whheydt.

      As soon as the House re-convenes (I've seen claims that that will be on 9 Nov.), the impeachment motion on Hegseth *has* to be voted on. Here's hoping that--between Democrats that can see clearly and Republicans that are just plain pissed off about the midterms, it passes.

    • Reply by FrankMUpstateSC.

      And hair gel, don't forget the hair gel! And this is supposed to be some kind of manly man??? What a poser.

    • Reply by Elpablo.

      It's pretty obvious that Pete's over-the-top anti LGBTQ+ crusade and his alcohol abuse are the behaviors of a man desperately trying to shout down or drown out those persistent, nagging, "dirty" urges he's been denying for most of his life.

      Will someone please dox his Grinder profile and put him out of our misery?

Active Conversations

The following is a list of the most commented articles in the last 7 days.

Trending Conversations

The following is a list of the most commented articles in the last 2 days.

 

Posted by at No comments:
Labels:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)