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Washington • Sen. Orrin Hatch broke with President Donald Trump on Wednesday, disagreeing with the commander in chief's new directive to bar transgender people from military service.
"I don't think we should be discriminating against anyone," Hatch, a Utah Republican, said in a statement on Twitter. "Transgender people are people, and deserve the best we can do for them."
Hatch added that he wanted more information and "clarity" from military leaders about Trump's decision.
The president tweeted earlier Wednesday that after consulting military generals and experts, the United States "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 [sic] in the military would entail," Trump said in separate tweets.
Hatch has been one of Trump's most unwavering supporters, but this was the second instance this week that the senator took issue with Trump statements or policies. The first was Hatch's spirited defense of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who Trump has suggested might not be long for the job because he recused himself from the investigation of Russian meddling in the election.