By Evelyn Lucado
Elm Staff Writer
According to UCLA Williams Institute, only 0.5% of adults in the United States identify as transgender, yet the “issue” of transgender Americans has become a focal point for former president Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.
According to ABC, Trump and various Republican groups have spent over $21 million on campaign ads targeting and degrading transgender Americans.
These ads show an alarming trend of vilifying transgender Americans, creating a fictitious enemy for Trump’s campaign to target.
“There are some places your boy leaves for school, comes back a girl,” Trump said in a recent Fox interview when asked about flailing public school systems.
Following this claim, Trump revealed that his plan to fix American public schools is to abolish the U.S. Department of Education.
“You don’t need [the Department of Education]. You know I want one person and a secretary to just make sure they’re teaching English” Trump said.
This comment shows a clear lack of understanding regarding the function of the Department of Education.
The function of the U.S. Department of Education is primarily establishing policies relating to federal financial aid, collecting relevant data surrounding the American education system, identifying major issues within the system, and enforcing federal statutes prohibiting discrimination, ultimately ensuring equal access to education for all.
According to the U.S. Department of Education, “Education is primarily a State and local responsibility in the United States. It is States and communities, as well as public and private organizations of all kinds, that establish schools and colleges, develop curricula, and determine requirements for enrollment and graduation.”
By focusing on a scapegoat, Trump avoids laying out any real policy regarding education. Instead, he directs the fear and anxieties of voters toward a small percentage of the American population.
The approaching 2024 presidential election begs the question: at what point is it time to address the purpose Trump’s rhetoric serves?
Political scapegoating happens when a subgroup of the population blames a third party instead of addressing the origins of an issue. Creating scapegoats, such as the officials in Department of Education and transgender people, allows Trump to avoid accountability when addressing policy concerns.
According to the University of St. Andrews Centre of Ethics, Policies, and Public Affairs “The target is not chosen because it is in any way responsible for society’s woes. If the target does happen to be at all responsible, that is an accident. The scapegoat is instead chosen because it is easy to victimise without fear of retaliation.”
Trump has created a fictitious image of what a transgender American looks and acts like. By dehumanizing and demonizing a small percentage of the American population, Trump has given angry and fearful Americans a scapegoat to direct those feelings toward.
By turning the “issue” of transgender Americans into a focal point of the election Trump has gotten away with not addressing real problems that Americans face, such as failures in the public education system.
Trump has continuously proclaimed his campaign to be a fight against “the enemy from within” as he stated during an interview with Maria Bartiromo of Fox Business.
This rhetoric is not only controversial and polarizing, but also dangerous and inciteful.
In the wake of extreme division and political uncertainty, fear is a natural reaction — it is also a powerful tool for political gain.
Now more than ever, it is imperative that American citizens remain skeptical and aware of political rhetoric being used and mindful of the ways they allow their fears to manifest.
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
Photo Caption: Coverage of the 2024 Presidential Election begins on Tuesday, Nov. 5.