"Mattis aide Sally Donnelly called Bannon. "Hey, we've got a problem with the boss," she said. "We can't stand by this transgender decision. This is just not right. They are American citizens." "These guys are coming over to get full surgery," Bannon said. "We're supposed to pay for that?" Mattis was going to try to reverse the decision, she said. "You've got to take one for the team," Bannon told her. Mattis would have to get in line. The White House later issued formal guidance to the Pentagon. Mattis announced he would study the issue. In the meantime, transgender troops continued to serve. Lawsuits were filed, and four federal courts entered preliminary injunctions against the ban. On January 1, 2018, the Pentagon began accepting transgender recruits as required by the courts."