GOP Sen Ernst: I ‘Welcome’ Transgenders to Serve in Our Military

BRENNAN: You also sit on the Armed Services Committee and late Friday the president did announce that he was changing his position but still banning essentially transgender people from serving in the military. Do you support that?

ERNST: Well, I support allowing those transgenders that can serve I believe they should serve. We do want to make sure that they meet physical requirements. We can’t wave that. That is true across any demographic within our military. Making sure that they are physically fit and they meet the mental standard. But I’ve asked transgenders myself, if you were willing to lay down your life beside mine I would welcome you into our military. Again, there are standards that have to be met I will support the president and the administration on making sure that standards are met. But if there are transgenders that meet those qualifications certainly I would gladly have them serve in our United States Military.

RENNAN: Will you ask the White House to change its position?

ERNST: Well, I think that the White House has done very studied analysis of how we have the best qualified people coming into the military and so I’m happy to have those discussions with the administration. But again making sure that those standards are applied fairly across the spectrum of every citizen that wants to join our United States military.