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The Log Cabin Republicans on Wednesday condemned President Trump's decision to ban transgender people from serving in the military "in any capacity."

"This smacks of politics, pure and simple," Gregory Angelo, the group's president, said in a statement. "The United States military already includes transgender individuals who protect our freedom day in and day out. Excommunicating transgender soldiers only weakens our readiness; it doesn't strengthen it."

That statement was released just a day after the Trump administration was welcoming the group's support for the new administration.

In three tweets posted Wednesday morning, Trump announced that the military would no longer "accept or allow" transgender people to serve "in any capacity." The Pentagon deferred questions about Trump's announcement to the White House.

Not long after the president published his tweets, Democratic and some Republican lawmakers criticized Trump's new transgender ban.

Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee said they plan to "fight this decision, just like we fought Don't Ask, Don't Tell.'"

Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, whose son is transgender, also came out against Trump's decision.

"No American, no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity, should be prohibited from honor + privilege of serving our nation #LGBT," she tweeted.

The Log Cabin Republicans, an organization of Republicans that advocates equal rights for LGBT individuals in the United States, warned Trump's ban harmed transgender people already serving.

"The president's statement this morning does a disservice to transgender military personnel and reintroduces the same hurtful stereotypes conjured when openly gay men and women were barred from service during the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell' era," Angelo said. "As an organization that led the charge against that hateful policy, Log Cabin Republicans remains equally committed to standing up for transgender military personnel who put their lives on the line to keep us free."

Trump's new policy effectively reversed the Obama administration's decision to allow transgender people already in the military to serve openly, which was implemented last year.

Then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter also directed the service chiefs to draft a new policy to allow transgender recruitment by July 1. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis announced June 30 implementation of those new policies would be delayed six months.

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Log Cabin Republicans: Trump's transgender military ban 'smacks of politics' - Washington Examiner