US Republicans allegedly spent $183 million on transgender-related TV advertisements
Donald Trump. (Getty Images)
Republicans have spent an estimated $183 million on transgender-themed TV attack ads in the final stretch of the 2026 midterms, as Donald Trump ramps up the same messaging on his campaign trail.
According to data firm AdImpact, estimates show around 217,000 transgender-focused TV spots aired nationwide up to 25 October. At a 29 October rally in Corinth, Mississippi, Trump said Democrats “promote the transgender mutilization of your children.”
The ad spending is higher than at the same point in the 2024 general election, when Republicans had spent $151 million on similar ads, as reported by ABC News.
Where are trans TV ads concentrated?
Texas’ Senate contest has drawn the largest share of the Republican’s transgender-related ad spending, with an estimated $58 million for more than 50,000 airings.
One Texas PAC advert targeting Democrat James Talarico aired nearly 17,000 times at a cost exceeding $23 million. In the spot, a narrator says: “If you care about your children, do not vote for James Talarico.”
Democrats, by contrast, have reportedly spent around $11 million on transgender-related ads, largely to defend themselves from Republican attacks.
The ads are also landing in other high-profile races. In Ohio, transgender-themed attacks against Democratic Senate candidate Sherrod Brown have reportedly cost nearly $26 million.
Brown’s campaign pushed back, calling the ads a “total lie” and a distraction from economic issues. The independent organisation PolitiFact also rated a Senate Leadership Fund ad as false.
Do voters say trans issues matter most?
Polling suggests Republicans are making the bet even as most voters say other issues matter more. An AP-NORC poll from October found only about 12% of registered voters said transgender issues were “one of the most important issues” in the election, compared with roughly 85% who mentioned the economy or 84% citing the cost of living.
Republican pollster Chris Wilson said: “Republicans clearly believe these issues expose a cultural disconnect between Democratic candidates and a significant portion of the electorate.”
Trans people have increasingly been turned into a political wedge issue in the US, with Republican-led states advancing restrictions on trans healthcare for minors, trans participation in school sports and classroom discussion of gender identity. On 9 September, Trump spoke about transgender women and girls participating in sport at the Republican Party’s first national midterm convention in Dallas, as he made trans issues a central plank of his midterm messaging.
