Gay ex-Army chief blasts Trump

Former Army chief Eric Fanning, the first openly gay head of a U.S. military service, expressed disappointment, anger and shock at President Trump’s Twitter announcement banning transgender people from the armed forces.

“If you’re a transgender service member anywhere in the world, you are very nervous about what you’re hearing,” Fanning told NBC’s Today show Thursday. “Now you’re probably very confused and very frightened about what the future holds for you, when your commander in chief tweets a message like this, basically dismissing your service.”

Fanning questioned Trump’s tweet, citing “tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail.”

Fanning said he has seen no numbers to support high financial costs, adding that the only disruption would be discharging thousands of trained, valuable soldiers and sailors.

“That will be disruptive to the force, that will be disruptive for readiness,” Fanning said.

Trump issued his decision in a series of tweets Wednesday. Its immediate impact on transgender troops, estimated at up to 6,600, was not clear.

The ban, and Trump, also drew the ire of Kristin Beck, known as Chris Beck during 20 years as a Navy SEAL with seven combat deployments, a Purple Heart and Bronze Star. Beck retired from Navy SEAL Team 6 in 2011 and began hormone treatments in 2013, the same year her book

Warrior Princess was published. “Let’s meet face to face and you tell me I’m not worthy,” Beck told

Business Insider. “Transgender doesn’t matter. Do your service.”

Beck also dismissed Trump’s claim that transgender service members are disruptive.

“A very professional unit with great leadership wouldn’t have a problem,” Beck said. “I can have a Muslim serving right beside Jerry Falwell, and we’re not going to have a problem. It’s a leadership issue, not a transgender issue.”