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President Trump spent his first week in office righting the wrongs of the last four years and fulfilling a plethora of campaign promises to the American people.
His second week looks just as eventful, with more forthcoming actions in the pipeline.
On Monday, Trump is set to sign an executive order to reinstate any servicemembers who were discharged for refusing to take the COVID vaccine during the Biden-Harris administration.
Two additional executive orders, including one banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the military, and another that bans transgender people from serving, will also be signed.
During his campaign, he made clear that his administration never would have imposed a vaccine mandate on anyone and promised to reverse the policy expeditiously.
Fox News reported that a fact sheet released by the White House stated, “The Executive Order directs the Secretary of Defense to reinstate all members of the military (active and reserve) who were discharged for refusing the COVID vaccine and who request to be reinstated.”
Additionally, the fact sheet says the servicemembers will be restored to their prior rank and will receive backpay and benefits.
“From 2021 to 2023, the Biden Administration and former Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin discharged over 8,000 troops solely due to their COVID-19 vaccination status,” the fact sheet noted.
“After the vaccine mandate was repealed in 2023, only 43 of the more than the 8,000 troops dismissed elected to return to service under the Biden Administration and Secretary Austin.”
During his inauguration speech, President Trump said the servicemembers were “unjustly expelled” for refusing to take the experimental drug.
Newly confirmed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth weighed in on the matter while speaking to the Pentagon press Monday morning.
“Today there are more executive orders coming that we fully support on removing DEI inside the Pentagon, reinstating troops who were pushed out because of Covid mandates, Iron Dome for America. This is happening quickly. And as the Secretary of Defense, it’s an honor to salute smartly as I did as a junior officer and now as the Secretary of Defense to ensure these orders are complied with rapidly and quickly.” Hegseth stated.
