Trump Attacks Trans Kids in State of the Union—and Democrats Flail
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump used his State of the Union address on Tuesday to launch a direct attack on transgender children, calling for a “ban” on their ability to “exist in public” and drawing a sharp rebuke from Democratic lawmakers.
During his speech, Trump highlighted the story of Sage Blair, a Virginia teen and her mother, Michele, who are suing the Appomattox County School Board. According to reports, Michele Blair alleges the school district failed to disclose to the family that Sage was identifying as male, contributing to the teen running away and subsequently facing sexual abuse. Both Sage and Michele attended the State of the Union as Trump’s guests.
“We must ban it, and we must ban it immediately,” Trump said, referring to what he described as allowing trans kids to socially transition safely in school. He claimed, “Surely You can all agree no state can be allowed to rip children from their parents’ arms and transition them to a new gender against the parents’ will.”
In response to Trump’s remarks, Democratic members of Congress remained seated, refusing to applaud. “These people are crazy! I’m telling ya — they’re crazy,” Trump exclaimed, pointing toward the Democrats.
The president’s comments drew immediate criticism from advocates for transgender rights, who argued that his rhetoric is dangerous and harmful. The “it” Trump referred to extends beyond bans on gender-affirming healthcare – already in place in at least 27 states – to encompass the ability for trans kids to safely socially transition in school.
Trump’s attack comes as Republican lawmakers across the country are pushing legislation aimed at restricting the rights of transgender people, including bans on gender-affirming care, participation in sports, and access to bathrooms. Sage Blair’s story is now being used as the basis for Virginia legislation aimed at forcing schools to notify parents should a student identify with a gender other than their sex assigned at birth and requiring parental consent to allow a student to use a new name or pronoun in school. Such a law would put thousands of trans kids at risk.
The Intercept reported that Trump’s administration has a “standing policy of ripping children from their parents’ arms,” a reference to the family separation policy enacted during his previous term. Republican members of Congress responded to Trump’s remarks with a standing ovation.
Line of Attack
With midterm elections approaching, Trump is expected to escalate these attacks on trans kids, using the issue as a wedge to rally his base. Democrats, however, should resist taking the bait, according to analysis from The Intercept. They should not attempt to prove to an imagined anti-trans majority that they are not “crazy” for refusing to support the persecution of a vulnerable minority.
How Democrats Are Failing
Despite some symbolic gestures, Democratic leaders have largely failed to robustly oppose these eliminationist efforts, repeatedly ceding rhetorical ground to the anti-trans right. A false dichotomy has emerged, suggesting that supporting trans people is at odds with focusing on key economic issues.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently told CNN he wants his party to be “less prone to spending disproportionate amounts of time on pronouns, identity politics” and more focused on “tabletop issues” like electricity bills and childcare costs. The Intercept noted that Newsom’s comments suggest a willingness to prioritize political expediency over the rights of trans people.
Numerous 2025 election victories saw wins for Democrats who refused to throw people under the bus, from New York to Pennsylvania to Virginia.
Good Politics
Including trans rights in their platform is not only morally sound, but can also be good electoral politics. Trump’s anti-trans onslaught is a transparent effort to rally support around a conjured scapegoat as his approval ratings continue to decline. The elimination of trans people is not incidental to the Republican project — it is central to it.
Democrats need to reject far-right frameworks and not abandon trans rights to defeat Republicans. If they pretend otherwise, endangering a vulnerable population in an attempt to save their own political hides, they are not worthy of voters’ support.