There is a point when political rhetoric stops being rhetoric. We are at that crossroads.
For years, anti-trans politicians have told transgender Americans their lives are a political issue. Now, under President Donald Trump’s second administration, that very message is being backed by the power and action of the federal government.
The result is not merely offensive language or another ugly campaign ad. It is a sustained effort to push transgender people out of public life, restrict their access to healthcare and make their existence a political target.
All LGBTQ+ Americans should be paying attention at this moment because history has taught us something important — when politicians successfully convince the public that one marginalized group is disposable, the consequences won’t stop there.
The Trump administration and their army of MAGA minions have made transgender Americans a central target of its political agenda. On his first day back in office, Trump moved to establish a federal policy only accepting two genders, male and female. His administration has since pursued policies targeting transgender service members, transgender students and gender-affirming care.
Now, the rhetoric is becoming even more extreme.
In August, Trump told former Rep. Trey Gowdy that voters should essentially treat the 2026 midterm elections as though Trump himself were on the ballot. During that conversation, he said transgender people would “end” if Republicans retained control of Congress.
Now, read that again.
A sitting president was talking about an entire group of Americans disappearing from public life.
The statement was not followed by a meaningful challenge from the interviewer. There was no demand for clarification about what “end” means. And there was no national reckoning over what it means when the president of the United States talks about transgender Americans this way.
Instead, it became another headline. Another news cycle. Another outrage runs the risk of being forgotten before the next one arrives.
That is exactly how normalization works.
The administration’s message is not limited to speeches and television interviews. It is showing up in government policy.
In September, 22 states sued the Trump administration over its effort to restrict federal funding for gender-affirming care for transgender minors. The states argue that the administration is exceeding its authority by attempting to determine which medical procedures can receive federal funding.
That fight matters because access to healthcare is not a culture-war talking point to the people whose lives depend on it.
It is healthcare — it’s doctors and patients making decisions, parents trying to help their children and transgender young people trying to get through adolescence without being told by their government that their very existence is a problem. While the administration escalates its attacks, transgender Americans are forced to reckon with the consequences.
There is another telling development as the midterms approach: Some Republicans reportedly do not want Trump campaigning alongside them.
LGBTQ Nation reported some Republican candidates in competitive races are concerned about having Trump on the campaign trail, despite his plans to campaign heavily in the final weeks before the Nov. 3 election. His political standing and approval ratings have made some candidates wary of being closely associated with him.
But here is the question LGBTQ+ voters should be asking: What happens when the campaign ends?
A candidate does not have to stand beside Trump at a rally to support policies affecting transgender Americans. They can vote for them, remain silent, refuse to challenge them, or decide transgender rights are an acceptable price to pay for political power.
For that reason, we cannot judge politicians solely by the photographs they take or the slogans they use during election season. We have to look at their records and remember who pays the price when politicians turn marginalized people into political ammunition.
The White House itself has participated in this ugly political theater. In October 2025, the White House website used an image of a topless transgender woman while responding to criticism surrounding the destruction of the East Wing. The bizarre political messaging was part of a broader online campaign from the administration that also took aim at former presidents and transgender visibility.
This is not normal political disagreement.
It’s our government using the visibility and power of the presidency to turn identity into ammunition. We should not become numb to it.
The LGBTQ+ community has spent decades fighting for the simple proposition of deserving to exist openly, safely and equally. We have had to watch our governments criminalize who we are and who we love. We have watched police raid our bars, employers fire people for being gay or transgender and politicians use us as convenient villains whenever they need someone to blame.
We know where this road can lead.
That is why this moment requires more than anger on social media — it requires action. The 2026 midterm elections are approaching, and voters will decide who controls Congress and who has the power to investigate, challenge, approve, block or advance federal policies. That power matters.
If you are LGBTQ+, vote. If you have an LGBTQ+ child, vote. If you have a transgender friend, sibling, partner, parent or co-worker, vote. And if you believe that transgender people deserve the same dignity and freedom as everyone else, do not sit this election out. Research the candidates on your ballot. Look beyond party labels and campaign slogans. Read their records. Find out how they have voted on LGBTQ+ issues. Listen to what they say about transgender people when the cameras are rolling — and when they think nobody is listening.
Volunteer — knock on doors, make phone calls, talk to your friends and family. Help people register and get to the polls. Support organizations working to protect LGBTQ+ voters and communities.
Then vote for candidates who will protect LGBTQ+ people rather than use us as political targets because elections, policy and rhetoric have consequences. And when the president of the United States says transgender people should “end,” we cannot afford to shrug, scroll past the headline and wait for the next outrage.
They are telling us what they want. We need to decide what we are willing to do about it.
This story is brought to you by Rosedale Health and Wellness and Dudley’s Place.
