Former President Donald Trump and his allies have spent over $21 million on television ads attacking Vice President Kamala Harris for her past support of transgender rights. These ads have been aired during nationally televised sports games and in battleground states, despite most voters not prioritizing this issue in the upcoming election.
The ads focus on Harris' previous stance on taxpayer-funded gender-affirming care for detained immigrants and federal prisoners. Trump's campaign has heavily invested in ads portraying Harris as out of touch with voters, particularly on LGBTQ rights.
Trump's recent rhetoric against the LGBTQ community, especially transgender Americans, has intensified compared to his previous campaigns. He has voiced opposition to transgender women participating in women's athletics and vowed to punish hospitals providing gender-affirming care to minors.
Despite the significant spending on LGBTQ rights-related ads, polls show that most voters do not rank transgender issues as a top priority. However, there is a mixed sentiment among Americans on transgender issues, with some polls indicating support for Trump's views.
Trump's campaign strategy of focusing on policies affecting children, such as transgender treatments, aims to appeal to moderate voters who support LGBTQ rights. Pro-Trump groups have followed suit, launching ads attacking Harris on transgender stances along with concerns about inflation and immigration.
While Trump and his allies have heavily invested in ads targeting LGBTQ rights, Democratic candidates have not responded defensively in their campaign ads. Only a few Democrats have aired ads in defense of transgender rights, with some Senate candidates pushing back against GOP attacks on the issue.
The emergence of LGBTQ rights as a prominent issue in Senate campaigns reflects the growing focus on this topic in the political landscape. Despite the significant spending on ads related to transgender issues, the overall impact on voter sentiment remains to be seen as the election approaches.