Trump Criticizes Pro-Trans Legislation in State of the Union

During the State of the Union address, President Trump took aim at Democrats who remained seated when he condemned practices allowing schools to change children’s gender without parental consent. “Surely, we can agree on this: no nation should rip children from their parents’ arms and change their gender against the parents’ wishes. Who thinks this is acceptable? We need to ban this, and we must act now,” he stated, as Republicans erupted in applause while Democrats stayed quiet.

“Look at that – no one’s standing up. These folks are out of touch. I’m serious; they’re crazy,” he remarked, gesturing toward dissenting Democrats. “We’re fortunate to have a nation where people challenge this; the Democrats are ruining our country, and thankfully, we stopped them just in time, right?”

Trump also referenced a guest of his at the event, Sage Blair, who experienced significant hardship after being removed from her parents’ care at 14 due to attempts by school officials in Virginia to identify her as male. Blair’s mother, Michelle, who attended the speech, had previously sued the school district, asserting that they had secretly transitioned her daughter. The lawsuit claimed that the school’s actions led to Sage fleeing home, where she ultimately faced serious danger.

At one stage, a judge even separated Sage from her parents for not affirming her supposed gender identity. “But now, all that’s behind her. Sage is thriving—she’s a wonderful young woman with a full scholarship to Liberty University,” Trump noted.

He continued, recognizing Sage’s resilience. “Thank you for your incredible courage. Can you believe we’ve reached a point where we need to discuss this? Fifteen years ago, if someone brought this up, people would think it was absurd. But now, it’s a reality in many states, often without informing parents.”

Trump’s Department of Education is currently examining states like California and Maine over potential violations relating to gender secrecy policies. These policies may contradict the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which gives parents rights to their children’s educational data, and could risk federal funding for schools.

A group called the Parent Advocacy Group (PDE) has reported that by 2025, over 1,000 school districts will have policies that potentially keep transgender identities hidden from parents. This affects 21,314 schools and over 12 million students in the U.S.