When President Donald Trump first took office in 2017, it wasn’t self-evident that the transgender community, in particular, had anything to fear.

Prior to his presidency, Trump had said largely positive, or at least tolerant, things about LGBTQ people. He said he had no problem hiring gay people and supported amending the 1964 Civil Rights Act to explicitly bar discrimination based on sexual orientation. He ended a ban on trans participation in his beauty pageants. He opposed North Carolina’s bathroom bill. He said his friend, transgender reality star Caitlyn Jenner, could use “any bathroom she chooses” at Trump Tower. He portrayed himseld as a “friend” to LGBTQ people.

However, in his first term, he passed several anti-trans measures, including banning transgender people from serving in the military and removing nondiscrimination protections for trans people in health care and health insurance.

In his 2024 presidential campaign, the rhetoric against “radical gender ideology” and “transgender insanity” grew more hostile. A frequently-run Trump television ad claimed that “Kamala is for they/them. Trump is for you.” And as his second term has progressed, Trump’s attacks on transgender rights have become increasingly virulent.

Today, Explained host Noel King spoke to Kate Sosin, who reports on LGBTQ issues for The 19th, about how the Trump administration’s anti-trans policies are affecting transgender Americans.

Below is an excerpt of their conversation, edited for length and clarity. There’s much more in the full podcast, so listen to Today,........

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