Sara Jacobs exposes Pete Hegseth’s anti-trans military hypocrisy

Democratic Representative Sara Jacobs has exposed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s anti-trans hypocrisy in an iconic speech. 

Congresswoman Jacobs called out the United States Secretary of Defense for implementing the ban on trans people serving in the US military after President Donald Trump signed an executive order reinstating a ban on trans people in the military, which was repealed by former President Joe Biden in 2021. 

On Thursday (12 June), during a House Armed Services Committee hearing, Jacobs highlighted women’s contributions to the military. She told Hegseth of the exemplary records of three women in the armed forces who had received outstanding reports.

Jacobs then asked the defense secretary that “given their stellar qualifications and accomplishments and their record of surpassing standards”, did he agree that the Pentagon and the military services “should do everything they can to retain women like these?”

Hegseth responded: “I would commend the major, the aviator, and the instructor for their service”.

Jacobs then revealed that the three women in question were actually transgender women. “You are actually kicking out these three highly qualified service members solely because of their identity,” she told Hegseth.

“You are using the very same arguments that are desegregating the military or allowing women to serve or allowing gay people to serve,” Jacobs continued. “In all those cases, those arguments were wrong. 

“I think it’s clear that this is not about standards, or, and I’m quoting you again, ‘an equal, unwavering, gender-neutral, merit-based system’, because if it were, you would be keeping these women in.

“Instead, you are the one injecting culture wars into the military, and it’s at the detriment of our military readiness and national security.”

At the time of the memo signing, Hegseth wrote that “the department must ensure it is building ‘one force’ without sub-groups defined by anything other than ability or mission adherence.

“Efforts to split our troops along lines of identity weaken our force and make us vulnerable. Such efforts must not be tolerated or accommodated.”

Share your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below, and remember to keep the conversation respectful.