Republicans are betting big that ‘culture war’ issues including transgender athletes could decide the election
Republicans are going all-in on transgender issues ahead of the November 5 elections, betting big on voters being energized by the fight against the “culture war.”
With just 14 days to go until Election Day, the Republican Party has poured tens of millions of dollars into ads slamming Democrats for supporting pro-trans policies.
According to AdImpact, the Republicans have done so spent nearly $70 million on this effort alone in congressional advertisements.
They’re betting that this niche issue will galvanize the voter base and help Republicans in downvote races.
This also applies to the extremely tight race for control of the House of Representatives, apart from currently only four seats, and the Senate – which the Republican party wants to turn red.
Former President Donald Trump has raised transgender-related issues at multiple campaign events, including rallies and town halls
“Crazy liberal Kamala is for they/them,” one of them advertisements warns terrifyingly. “President Trump is for you.”
In a competitive House district in Michigan, incumbent Republican Rep. John James is trying to avoid defeat by campaigning against the “culture war” of transgender changes for children.
One ad criticizes his opponent, Carl Marlinga, for “backed by extremist groups who want to allow school officials to medicate students so they can change gender and hide it from their parents.”
In that state’s Senate race, Republican candidate Mike Rogers has similarly echoed the views of his opponent, Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin, on trans athletes rejected.
“She voted to allow biological males in women’s sports, and males in women’s locker rooms,” Rogers recently told PunchBowl News.
Democrats, on the other hand, have not focused on the issue and have spent relatively little to fend off the trans-related attack ads.
But Trump harps on almost every venue he speaks.
The television commercial above from MAGA Inc. includes a line that “Crazy liberal Kamala is for them/them,” while “President Trump is for you.” According to AdImpact, about $70 million has been spent on trans-related ads in congressional races and at least $21 million in the presidential race.
Another part of the same ad highlights previous comments from Kamala Harris, where she talks about offering transgender surgeries to prisoners
During a conversation in a barbershop in the Bronx borough of New York last week, Donald Trump told a father that his plan to revamp schools will involve trans policies.
‘Not transgender. No operations. You know, they’re taking your kid. There are some places where your boy goes to school and comes back as a girl,” the ex-president said.
“It’s true,” he said to the barbershop. ‘Without parental consent!’
Also last week, he told an all-female audience at a Fox News town hall that he would “just ban it” when a grandmother asked about the transgender “issue” in sports.
Ever since transgender swimmer Lia Thomas made headlines for competing against men in the 2019-2020 NCAA season before transitioning and later competing against women in 2021-2022, trans issues in sports have been a focal point on the Republican agenda.
Donald Trump told a woman during a Fox News town hall that his plan to address the ‘transgender issue in women’s sports’ is to ‘just ban it’
Transgender athlete Lia Thomas of the University of Pennsylvania waits for a preliminary heat of the 500-meter freestyle at the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships Thursday, March 17, 2022, at Georgia Tech in Atlanta
Former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines, along with several other female swimmers, has since filed a lawsuit against the NCAA for forcing them to compete with Thomas.
There is also currently a controversy unfolding within the NCAA regarding a volleyball player from San Jose State University.
‘Yesterday they had a volleyball match, did you see that? “With someone who has transitioned, we have to be very careful because it could end your political career if you say it a little bit off, but you’ve transitioned from male to female,” Trump said during the Fox town hall.
The former president was apparently referring to Blaire Fleming, a volleyball player from San Jose Sate University (SJSU).
Fleming, a redshirt senior, has been cited as the reason four schools have forfeited games against SJSU so far this season due to safety concerns.
Fleming (pictured), a redshirt senior in their third season on San Jose State’s roster, is at the center of a class-action lawsuit filed against the NCAA after claims they are a biological male
Teams cancel games against San Jose State because of Blaire Fleming
They recently went viral for spiking a ball and forcefully hitting another player in the face. Even the broadcaster noticed the woman’s pink face after she was hit.
Whether the “culture war” trans ads will push voters toward the Republican Party or away from it is a big gamble for the party.
In most polls this cycle, trans issues were not among the most pressing issues for voters.
Instead, the economy, immigration and abortion were regularly among the most pressing issues.