SAN FRANCISCO, CA – On Sunday, New Jersey Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Cory Booker told an audience of 300 that he would immediately reverse the ban on transgender military service that the Trump administration is seeking to implement next month. “When I am president of the United States,” Senator Booker said in response to a voter question, “right away I will end this ridiculous, insulting, un-American ban on transgender Americans serving in the military.” Senator Booker appears to be the first major candidate of either party to make reversal an immediate priority.

Palm Center Director Aaron Belkin made the following comment in response:

“Sen. Cory Booker has listened to the considered judgment of all five military service chiefs and has taken a strong stand on the need to rid our military of discrimination on day one of his tenure if elected. This is the kind of leadership needed to ensure that politics doesn’t stand in the way of military readiness. We look forward to hearing where other candidates stand on this key issue of immediate reversal.”

Two recent polls, by Quinnipiac and Dalia Research, found that 70% of respondents favor allowing transgender Americans to serve in the military. The Palm Center recently released a graphic correcting the Pentagon’s misleading claims about its transgender ban.