United States President-elect Donald Trump has promised to stop the “transgender lunacy” on his first day in office as Republicans prepare to control Congress and the White House.
Trump made this vow while addressing young conservatives at an event in Phoenix, Arizona, where he outlined his plans to roll back LGBTQ rights and implement strict policies.
He said, “I will sign executive orders to end child sexual mutilation, get transgender out of the military and out of our elementary schools and middle schools and high schools.”
He also promised to “keep men out of women’s sports,” adding that “it will be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female.”
The issue of transgender rights has become highly polarised in US politics, with Republican and Democratic states adopting opposing policies.
These debates cover gender-affirming medical treatments and restrictions on certain books in schools and libraries. Just last week, Congress passed a defence budget that blocks funding for some gender-affirming care for transgender children of military service members.
In his speech, Trump also laid out broader plans for his second term, promising to address “migrant crime,” target drug cartels, and revisit the operation of the Panama Canal.
“On January 20, the United States will turn the page forever on four long, horrible years of failure, incompetence, national decline, and we will inaugurate a new era of peace, prosperity and national greatness,” Trump said. He added, “The golden age of America is upon us.”
Trump pledged to end the war in Ukraine, stabilise the Middle East, and prevent World War III, though he did not explain how he plans to achieve these goals.
Addressing the Panama Canal, he criticised fees charged by Panamanian authorities as “ridiculous” and warned that if the terms of the 1970s treaty granting Panama control are not respected, the US will demand full control of the canal “quickly and without question.”
On immigration, Trump repeated his promise to launch “the largest deportation operation in American history.”
He vowed to designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organisations and dismantle their operations within the US, saying, “This criminal network operating on American soil will be dismantled, deported, and destroyed.”
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