Let me start off by saying everyone is entitled to an opinion. Whether about politics or reality television, there's nothing wrong with differing viewpoints. However, sometimes public figures express views that aren't necessarily backed up by facts, in which case, it's more than a little frustrating. Specifically, I'm referring to Caitlyn Jenner's recent remarks about Donald Trump, which are not only troubling but factually flawed. In an interview with Stat, the Olympic gold medalist said,
"Everybody looks at the Democrats as being better with these issues. But Trump seems to be very much for women. He seems very much behind the LGBT community because of what happened in North Carolina with the bathroom issue. He backed the LGBT community. But in Trump’s case, there’s a lot more unknowns. With Hillary, you pretty much know what you’re gonna get with the LGBT community."
To say "Trump seems to be very much for women" contradicts the presidential candidate's own words. On countless occasion he's spoken to or about women in derogatory terms. He called it "disgusting" when Hillary Clinton took a bathroom break during a debate; implied Megyn Kelly had her period, since he didn't agree with her as a moderator; and critiqued the appearance of female celebrities ranging from Heidi Klum (she's "no longer a 10") to Rosie O'Donnell, who he deemed "disgusting" and "a slob." Plus, remember when he said women having abortions should be punished? His team clarified the comments, but it didn't make them much better. And if that's not enough evidence, feel free to check out this Bustle round-up of Trump's nine most sexist comments from 2015. Someone who exhibits such disrespect for women (aka half of the U.S. population) probably doesn't belong in office.
Another part of Jenner's quote that feels off-base is the notion that Trump "seems very much behind the LGBT community." While I'll give the Apprentice alum a round of applause for changing his view on trans individuals being allowed to use whichever bathroom they feel most comfortable with, he still has a history of disappointing moments with the LGBT community. What about Trump's response to the Orlando shooting? Instead of focusing on how this devastating incident that was an attack on the LGBT community, he chose to congratulate himself for being right about terrorism. In a moment that an entire country was mourning the lives of nearly 50 people, he was patting himself on the back.
On top of that, Trump said that he would "strongly consider" appointing judges who could overturn the same-sex marriage ruling. According to Huffington Post, he reportedly told Fox News Sunday in January, "If I’m elected I would be very strong in putting certain judges on the bench that I think maybe could change things, but they have a long way to go." The video interview has since been deleted. Still, I don't know about you, but that does not sound like someone who's actively supporting the LGBT community. If he genuinely plans to overturn same-sex marriage, that would be a huge step backwards for America.
Since Trump has an on-the-record history of belittling women and saying he would consider overturning same-sex marriage, it's inaccurate to say he "very much" backs those groups. Sorry, Caitlyn, but it's simply not true.
