Unlike many members of his party, Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman has maintained a relatively cordial relationship with President Donald Trump.

However, the senator broke with Trump last week when he called on the president to reverse a new ban on transgender soldiers. 

Fetterman says he is "unapologetically" pro military and pro LGBTQ

According to The Hill, Fetterman made his request in a video clip which he posted to social media this past Thursday morning.

"I'm standing in front of my office and two flags that are two core values of mine," Fetterman said, referring to the POW/MIA flag and the Progress Pride flag.

I want @DeptofDefense to be the most lethal force in human history—I will always vote for that.

I will also never vote to degrade anyone.

It’s not woke shit. It’s the inherent dignity of every servicemember regardless of race, gender, who they love or how they identify.

I call… pic.twitter.com/flLilOtLVJ

— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) February 13, 2025

"I am unapologetically pro-military — I believe in a strong, lethal military. But I am also unapologetically pro the LGBTQ community," the senator declared.

Executive order bans so-called "gender affirming care"

"I am calling on President Trump to rescind this executive order — to allow and honor the inherent dignity of our service members regardless of what their race is, what their gender is, who they love or how they identify," Fetterman continued.

"A military that respects and supports all of its members is fully capable of being lethal and winning wars," the Democratic lawmaker went on to add.

The Hill noted how Fetterman's remarks came days after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth promulgated a memo regarding transgender service members.

The document references an executive order Trump signed in January which halts the recruiting of transgender soldiers and prohibits so-called "gender affirming care."

Hegseth slams "efforts to split our troops along the lines of identity"

"The Department must ensure it is building ‘One Force’ without subgroups defined by anything other than ability or mission adherence," Hegseth wrote.

"Efforts to split our troops along the lines of identity weaken our Force and make us vulnerable. Such efforts must not be tolerated or accommodated," he continued.

"Effective immediately, all new accessions for individuals with a history of gender dysphoria are paused, and all unscheduled, scheduled, or planned medical procedures associated with affirming or facilitating a gender transition for Service members are paused," the secretary declared.

Hegseth's words echo those of Trump's executive order, which states, "Expressing a false 'gender identity' divergent from an individual’s sex cannot satisfy the rigorous standards necessary for Military Service."