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Trump Attacks Trans People at Alaska Rally

Donald Trump at rally
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The former president claimed that letting trans women compete alongside cisgender women is "demeaning to women."

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Donald Trump used part of his so-called Save America rally Saturday in Anchorage, Alaska, to go on a typically transphobic rant.

Trump vowed to "keep men out of women's sports" -- referring to trans women as men, of course -- if he has the power to do so. He wants to run for president again in 2024.

The presence of trans women in women's sports "is actually demeaning to women, and it should not be allowed," said the former president, who himself has frequently demeaned women, bragging about grabbing them by the genitals and making a variety of misogynistic comments. Multiple women have accused him of sexual assault.

He lambasted champion college swimmer Lia Thomas, one of the few trans women to achieve such elite status. He repeatedly misgendered her, calling her a "guy" -- "he's a giant, he's a big guy" -- and made fun of inclusive language by referring to her as "a person with a man's body."

He also talked about a transgender weight lifter who defeated cisgender women, but he did not name any names, and it was unclear who he was discussing or if this actually happened. Laurel Hubbard, a trans woman from New Zealand, made history at last year's Olympics as the first out trans woman to compete in an individual event, but she did not win any medals.

Trump was known for his many anti-trans actions while in office, which included his ban on trans people in the military and his revocation of the Obama administration's guidelines on equal treatment of transgender youth in schools.

His rally was set up to support the campaigns of three Alaska Republican politicians: Kelly Tshibaka, who is challenging moderate U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski in this year's GOP primary; Sarah Palin, who is running for the congressional seat left vacant by the death of Don Young; and Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who is seeking reelection.

Tshibaka and Palin spoke at the rally, but Dunleavy did not attend. Also speaking was businessman Mike Lindell of My Pillow fame, who repeated the lie that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Trump, as did Trump himself.

"I ran twice, I won twice," Trump said, according to the Anchorage Daily News. "And now, with the approval of the great people of Alaska, we may have to do it again." He did not say outright that he was running in 2024, however.

"In his lengthy remarks," the paper notes, "Trump celebrated recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions including the one that overturned abortion protections guaranteed in Roe v. Wade; attacked Democratic President Joe Biden; exalted his own time in office; and took repeated aim at Murkowski, who broke with her party on several occasions to go against Trump."

He denounced Murkowski for voting to convict him in his second impeachment trial, calling her "a piece of..." before mouthing the word "garbage," according to Alaska Public Media.

Watch his transphobic tirade below.

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Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.
Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.