Donald Trump admits he uses trans issues as a campaign tactic
Donald Trump (Getty Images)
President Donald Trump has admitted to discussing trans people as a campaign tactic.
On 9 September, speaking at the Republican Party’s first national midterm convention in Dallas, Trump spoke about transgender women and girls participating in sport.
He claimed without evidence that opposition to transgender athletes competing on teams matching their gender identity was a “99 to one” issue.
He then revealed that this topic of discussion was best deployed shortly before voting begins.
“I don’t like to do it much before the election,” Trump said, as reported by The Advocate. “I like to wait about a week before the election.”
He went on to say he was raising the subject earlier because he was “petrified” Democrats might change their position. “That will really hurt us,” he said. “That’s one of our great sound bites of all time.”
The remark comes after Trump has made attacking transgender people a major part of his second administration.
Since returning to office, he has ordered federal agencies to recognise only two sexes, moved to remove transgender people from the military, sought to restrict trans students’ participation in school sports, and used federal agencies to pressure institutions over transgender healthcare and other LGBTQ+ protections.
Beyond trans people, Trump discussed a “sick cloud” of communism, claimed that millions of migrants and thousands of murderers were entering the country and asked voters to “pretend that I’m on the ballot”.
Speaking on Sunday, 30 August, to former Rep. Trey Gowdy, who is now a Fox News host, Trump argued that Republicans perform better when his name is directly on the ballot and warned that voters should expect “crazy things” if Democrats gain ground in Congress
And with the midterms approaching, Trump appears to be making an agenda around trans people and trans issues a huge part of the case for keeping Republicans in power.
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