Mike Huckabee criticized the inclusion of transgender people in the armed forces by saying “the military is not a social experiment” during Thursday’s Republican candidates’ debate.
The United States, Huckabee said, has “forgotten why we have a military, the purpose of it.”
“The military is not a social experiment, the purpose of the military is to kill people and break things,” Huckabee said. “It’s not to transform the culture by trying out some idea system people think would make us a different country and more diverse.”
He added, “The purpose is to protect America. I’m not sure how paying for transgender surgery for soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, makes our country safer.”
Liberals praised the move as an important step towards equality and inclusion.
The former Arkansas governor claimed President Barack Obama reduced the military by 25 percent while in office and the focus should be on restoring that lost power. Huckabee said the military must “protect every American no matter where that American is.”
