President Trump, who received five deferments from the Vietnam draft (including a medical deferment for a bone spur) and never served in the military, defended his controversial ban on transgender people serving in “any capacity” in the armed forces, saying he’s “doing the military a great favor.”

“I have great respect for the community,” Trump said on Thursday from his golf club in Bedminster, N.J. “I think I’ve had great support, or I’ve had great support from that community. I got a lot of votes. It’s been a very complicated issue for the military, it’s been a very confusing issue for the military, and I think I’m doing the military a great favor.”

Trump announced the ban last month in a series of tweets.

Pres. Trump on transgender ban in military: “I think I’m doing the military a great favor.” https://t.co/Zld4Pped8g pic.twitter.com/v5UjnO1w51

— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) August 10, 2017

“After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military,” Trump tweeted at the time.

“Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you”

After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow……

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017

….Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming…..

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017

….victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017

Top Republican senators, including Sens. John McCain and Orrin Hatch, have come out against the ban.

Dozens of retired generals and admirals have also come out against the ban, arguing it would be disruptive and degrade military readiness, rather than improve it as the president claimed.

Two LGBTQ rights groups, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD), filed a lawsuit on behalf of five transgender service members in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Wednesday, suing Trump over his proposed ban, while claiming that the ban violates the Equal Protection component of the Due Process Clauses of the Fifth Amendment.