Trump Readies Transgender Troop Ban, Return of Covid Discharges

President Donald Trump will sign executive actions that will restrict transgender troops from serving in the military and reinstate personnel who were discharged for refusing to receive a Covid-19 vaccine, according to people familiar with the matter.

The orders follow through on pledges Trump has made to reshape the US military in his second term, targeting what he and his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, have cast as “woke” policies they claim have distracted the armed forces from their mission.

One order will require the defense secretary to update Pentagon medical standards to ensure they prioritize “readiness and lethality,” according ...