In a surprise announcement, President Trump tweeted Wednesday he would ban transgender people from serving in the U.S. military. Trump made the declaration on Twitter, writing, “After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you.” Trump’s decision came despite his pledge at the Republican National Convention last year that he would “do everything in [his] power to protect our LGBTQ citizens.” The move set off protests outside the White House and at military recruitment centers around the country. This is Mara Keisling of the National Center for Transgender Equality.

Mara Keisling: “Well, it seems that what the president is saying is that he is going to fire 15,000 highly trained, motivated troops. It is a catastrophe for military readiness. It is, of course, a catastrophe for those 15,000 people who are just trying to serve their country. But it is just absurd that he would think to do this—and do it apparently without consulting the Pentagon.”

Trump’s announcement appeared to shock even the Pentagon, which has directed all questions about the order to the White House. Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin said he learned of the policy change from Trump’s tweet. It came after Defense Secretary James Mattis said last month he would give generals another six months to determine whether to allow trangender troops to enlist. This is a reporter questioning White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders during a press conference on Wednesday.

Jonathan Karl: “What happens to transgender servicemembers now? Are they immediately thrown out of the military?”

Sarah Huckabee Sanders: “That’s something that the Department of Defense and the White House will have to work together, as implementation takes place and is done so lawfully.”

A study by the RAND Corporation estimates gender reassignment treatments would cost the military between $2.5 million and $8.5 million annually—a minuscule fraction of the Pentagon’s $600 billion budget. By comparison, the total military spending on erectile dysfunction medicines amounts to 10 times as much annually. We’ll have more on Trump’s move to ban transgender people from the military after headlines.