Defense Secretary James Mattis is expected to propose transgender military members be allowed to continue serving despite President Donald Trump's call for a ban, The Washington Post reported Thursday.
According to the Post, which cited unnamed officials, Mattis was supposed to brief Trump on Wednesday, but the meeting was postponed.
Mattis spokeswoman Dana White said he will provide his recommendation to Trump this week, and the president will make an announcement at some point afterward.
"This is a complex issue, and the secretary is taking his time to consider the information he's been given," White said Thursday, the Post reported. "It's an important issue, and again, he sees all of his decisions through the lens of lethality."
It is unclear whether Trump will adopt Mattis' recommendations, which the president requested in an Aug. 25, 2017 executive order. The Post reported it is not clear how Mattis' recommendations will address how transgender recruits are processed.