Donald Trump Jr. is once again lashing out at transgender Americans, claiming they represent the “biggest threat facing our country today,” a statement as unhinged as it is dangerous. The comments were made during a recent visit to Minnesota, where Trump Jr. appeared alongside local Republicans to condemn the state’s pro-transgender legislation.
“This isn’t about tolerance anymore,” Trump Jr. said. “This is about defending America from a cultural cancer. Transgenderism is the biggest threat we face.” He went on to liken trans people to “rats in a grain silo,” describing their visibility and inclusion as “more dangerous than terrorism.”
Let’s be clear: trans people are not the ones terrorizing lawmakers or threatening public safety. But in a country where Donald Trump is now serving his second term as President, the idea of scapegoating a vulnerable minority as a national threat is sadly back in vogue.
Trump Jr.’s comments were not made in a vacuum. They were part of a broader right-wing backlash against recent legislative victories in Minnesota that expanded protections for LGBTQ+ residents, including a ban on conversion therapy and legal safeguards for gender-affirming care. These measures were championed by Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, who for years stood as a powerful progressive force in the Midwest.
But the backdrop to Trump Jr.’s attack grew even darker over the weekend. On June 14, Hortman and her husband were assassinated in their home, shot and killed by a man posing as a police officer. The suspect, according to initial reports, had ties to extremist groups and was allegedly targeting lawmakers known for supporting abortion rights and trans equality.
In other words, while Donald Trump Jr. spent the week calling trans people a national threat, the real violence was once again coming from radicalized men with guns.
Hortman’s legislative legacy includes climate action, reproductive freedom, gun safety reform, and LGBTQ+ protections. She was a champion for marginalized communities, and her murder has sent shockwaves through Minnesota politics. Her death underscores just how dangerous it is when hateful rhetoric goes unchecked. This isn’t just political grandstanding anymore. It’s blood in the streets.
Meanwhile, trans advocates and allies nationwide have condemned Trump Jr.’s remarks. “This isn’t free speech, it’s stochastic terrorism,” said one Minneapolis activist. “He’s painting targets on our backs and pretending he’s the victim.”
As for the “biggest threat” narrative? The data tells a different story. Trans people are exponentially more likely to face violence than to cause it. According to the 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey, more than 60% of trans Americans report harassment, and nearly 30% have experienced homelessness. The real threat is systemic neglect, not gender identity.
Editor’s Note: Donald Trump Jr. doesn’t get to decide who’s a threat to America. But history will decide who used power to protect the vulnerable and who used it to incite fear. TransVitae stands in solidarity with the trans community, and we honor Speaker Hortman’s legacy by continuing the fight she never stopped showing up for.
