Senate Armed Services chair McCain: Trump transgender decision inappropriate

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Armed Forces Committee Chairman John McCain on Wednesday said President Donald Trump's announcement barring transgender individuals from the U.S. military was "unclear" and inappropriate given an ongoing Pentagon study on the issue.

"I do not believe that any new policy decision is appropriate until that study is complete and thoroughly reviewed by the Secretary of Defense, our military leadership, and the Congress," McCain said in a statement, adding that U.S. defense officials had already decided that currently serving transgender troops could remain in the military.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey and David Alexander; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)