President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to “stop the transgender lunacy” on his first day in office, vowing to sign executive orders that would ban transgender individuals from the military and schools.
Speaking at an event for young conservatives in Phoenix, Arizona, Trump also promised to “keep men out of women’s sports” and declared that the official policy of the US government would be that there are only two genders, male and female.
Trump’s comments come as Republicans are set to control both chambers of Congress and the White House, and are part of a broader push against LGBTQ rights.
Transgender issues have been a contentious topic in US politics, with Democratic- and Republican-controlled states moving in opposite directions on policy such as medical treatment and what books on the topic are allowed in public or school libraries.
The president-elect also used his speech to make expansive promises for his second term, including ending the war in Ukraine, stopping chaos in the Middle East, and preventing World War III.
Trump declared that “the golden age of America is upon us” and vowed to restore US control of the Panama Canal, which he claimed was being operated unfairly by Panamanian authorities.
Trump’s comments on the Panama Canal were made in bellicose language, with the president-elect stating that if the principles behind the 1970s treaty that gave Panama full control of the canal are not followed, “then we will demand” that it be returned to the United States. Thousands of ships transit the key Central American waterway every year, making it critical to US and international commerce.
The president-elect also renewed his vow to begin “the largest deportation operation in American history” upon taking office, and said he would “immediately designate” drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Trump has regularly blamed migrants from Latin America for America’s drug problems, and has vowed to take a tough stance on immigration.
Trump’s comments were made at the AmericaFest conference in Phoenix, Arizona, a border state that he easily carried in the November election. The president-elect’s speech was seen as a victory lap, and he drew a dark picture of the four years preceding his presidency under President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
The US Congress recently approved its annual defense budget, which included a provision to block funding of some gender-affirming care for the transgender children of service members.
Trump’s comments on transgender issues are likely to be controversial, and have already sparked debate among LGBTQ rights groups.
Trump’s pledge to end “transgender lunacy” is part of a broader push by Republicans to restrict LGBTQ rights. The president-elect’s comments have been seen as a nod to his conservative base, and are likely to be a major issue in his second term.
Trump’s comments on transgender issues, immigration, and foreign policy have set the tone for a contentious presidency.
