In an appearance Sunday on NBC's Meet
The Press, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs promised
President Obama will end “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” the 1993 law
that bans gay and bisexual troops from serving openly.
Moderator David Gregory noted that the
Obama
administration appealed a court ruling striking down the policy as
unconstitutional on the same day he said he supports its repeal
while speaking at a town hall meeting broadcast on cabler MTV.
“So, if the president wants the law
to go away, if he wants the ban to go away, why is he still
supporting the law in the courts?” Gregory asked.
“The president believes the law is
discriminatory, unjust. And quite frankly we have men and women who
are willing to lay down their life for this country, those people
ought to be able to serve,” Gibbs answered.
“We have a process in place right now
to work with the Pentagon for an orderly and disciplined transition
from the law that we have now to an era that 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'
doesn't exist.”
“'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' will end
under this president,” Gibbs insisted.
But when pressed by Gregory whether the
president believes the law to be unconstitutional, Gibbs refused to
say.