Trump deletes post backing affirming surgery for trans kids with ‘parents’ approval’ after backlash
Donald Trump has walked back a post on gender-affirming surgery for trans kids. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty)
US President Donald Trump has appeared to backtrack on a recent social media post about gender-affirming surgery for trans kids after conservative backlash.
On Thursday (5 March), the now-deleted Truth Social post was promoting the ‘SAVE America Act’. Trump outlined five points, the last outlining he’d back gender-affirming surgery with “the express written approval of the parents.”
The fifth bullet point reads: “NO TRANSGENDER MUTILATION SURGERY FOR CHILDREN, WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN APPROVAL OF THE PARENTS.”
Though he refers to gender-affirming surgery as “transgender mutilation surgery,” the notion contradicts the Trump administration’s continued anti-trans messaging.
In January, Trump signed an executive order restricting gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth under 19. The order is titled “Protecting Children From Chemical And Surgical Mutilation”.
Just last month, Trump targeted trans youth in his State of the Union address. He referenced the story of Sage Blair, whose mother sued the Appomattox County School Board over allegations that the district did not disclose information about Sage identifying as male. The court case remains ongoing.
Following Trump’s post, former Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene weighed in.
“Trump now supports trans gender mutilation surgeries of children if their parents want it!!!!!,” she posted.
“The House passed my bill Protect Children’s Innocence Act that makes it a felony to trans any child under 18 even if their parents are supporting or pushing it on their own children. My bill was a reflection of Trump’s own executive order banning child trans surgeries and so called gender affirming care.”
“Now Trump is reversing his stance???!!!” she also continued. “What is wrong with him???”
“To do this to a child is absolutely disgusting, wrong, and a complete perversion of God’s creation AND NOW THE PRESIDENT SAYS ITS OK AS LONG AS THESE SICK PARENTS AGREE!!!”
Greene wasn’t alone in confronting Trump on this topic. Daily Wire host Matt Walsh also questioned the President’s messaging.
He wrote: “No trans surgery for children without parental consent” is meaningless.
“The kids who are mutilated almost always have parental consent. The consent of the parents is not the issue.
He then concluded: “The issue is that the procedure is barbaric and insane, no matter if parents agree to it or not.”
It seems Trump got ahead of himself. After taking the original post down, he uploaded a near-identical ‘truth’ post. However, the fifth point now reads: “No transgender mutilation surgery for children.”
The added “without the express written approval of the parents” has been removed.
