Former President Donald Trump issued one of his strongest criticisms to date against doctors who perform transgender surgeries for children, saying he would sign a law barring the procedure.
“Something else I find hard to believe that I have to even say,” Trump told a Faith and Freedom Coalition event on Saturday. “It’s so ridiculous. It’s so horrible and so ridiculous. I will keep men out of women’s sports,” he added.
Going further, Trump vowed: “And I will sign a law prohibiting child sexual mutilation in all 50 states. Prohibited.”
The former president also targeted the Marxist-inspired critical race theory, promising to cut federal funding to schools that promote the controversial framework. Schools would also face funding cuts if they force what he described as inappropriate political, sexual, or racial content onto children.
“Can you believe this? Can you imagine saying this 10 or 15 years ago? I will fight for parents’ rights,” Trump said, adding, “I will fight for the direct election of school principals by the parents, the parents of the school. If any principal is not getting the job done, the parents should be able to fire them immediately and select someone who will.”
Trump also told the crowd that he “will not give one penny to any school that has a vaccine mandate or mask mandate from kindergarten to college.”
During his 2016 campaign, Trump rarely focused on social issues and instead targeted illegal immigration, taxes, manufacturing, and growing the economy. On the other hand, his chief rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis—who is polling about 30 points behind Trump—has often focused on social issues as governor of Florida, including signing a bill earlier this year that would prohibit teachers to instruct or discuss sexual orientation or gender issues with small children.
About a dozen Republican-led states have passed laws or rules that bar transgender medical procedures and drugs for minors, and around a dozen other states are considering other measures. Around 20 states have also banned biological males claiming to be transgender women from competing in women’s sports.
Earlier this year, Trump said at a National Rifle Association (NRA) event that he would use the federal government to investigate transgender medical procedures and drugs, while accusing top U.S. officials of “pushing the transgender cult” on younger Americans, while “persecuting Christians” and “demonizing patriots.”
Also at the Faith and Freedom event, Trump stated that he is “proud to be the most pro-life president in American history,” adding, “I took historic action to protect the unborn.”
“As your President, I will continue to stand proudly for pro-life policies just as I did for four strong years … we cannot be afraid to take on the Democrat extremists, we can’t be afraid. We have to be strong and powerful,” he remarked. “That’s why when I’m reelected, I will continue to fight against the demented late-term abortionists in the Democrat Party who believe in unlimited abortion on demand and even executing babies after birth.”
At that same conference, Trump touched on the Department of Justice’s charges that were brought against him for allegedly mishandling classified documents. He pleaded not guilty to those counts earlier this month.
“Every time the radical left Democrats, Marxists, Communists, and fascists indict me, I consider it a great badge of courage,” he told supporters, referring to the case.
