President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday vowed to “end the transgender lunacy” on his first day in office, as Republicans, now in control of both chambers of Congress and the White House, intensify their efforts against LGBTQ rights.
“I will sign executive orders to end child sexual mutilation, remove transgender individuals from the military, and keep them out of our elementary, middle, and high schools,” Trump declared at a gathering for young conservatives in Phoenix, Arizona.
He also committed to “ensure men are excluded from women’s sports,” adding that “the official policy of the United States government will recognise only two genders: male and female.”
Speaking at the AmericaFest conference in a battleground state he won in the November election, Trump promised stringent measures against “migrant crime” and reaffirmed his intentions to regain US control of the Panama Canal.
Transgender issues have significantly impacted US politics in recent years, with states governed by Democrats and Republicans adopting vastly different approaches to policies regarding medical treatment and the availability of related literature in public and school libraries.
Last week, when Congress approved its annual defence budget, it included a provision to block funding for some gender-affirming care for transgender children of service members.
In his speech, which resembled a victory lap, Trump made sweeping promises for his forthcoming term while painting a dismal picture of the preceding four years under President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, whom he defeated in the 2024 election.
“On January 20, the United States will turn the page on four long, disastrous years marked by failure, incompetence, and national decline. We will usher in a new era of peace, prosperity, and national greatness,” Trump stated, referring to his inauguration.
‘Golden age’
“I will end the war in Ukraine. I will restore order in the Middle East, and I will prevent, I promise, World War III.”
“I can proudly declare,” he asserted, “that America’s golden age is upon us.”
The president-elect has yet to publicly outline his strategy for achieving peace in Ukraine, nearly three years after Russia’s invasion, or in the Middle East.
However, in his characteristic confrontational style, Trump stated on Sunday that the Panamanians “haven’t treated us fairly” in relation to the operation of the Panama Canal.
He had previously described fees for using the canal, which was initially constructed by France and completed by the United States, as “ridiculous.”
Additionally, he warned that if the fundamental principles of the 1970s treaty—granting Panama full control over the canal—are not upheld, “then we will demand” its immediate return to the United States “without question.”
Thousands of ships transit this crucial Central American waterway annually, making it vital for US and international trade.
However, it remains uncertain whether Trump plans to apply more than just rhetorical pressure on the Panamanian government.
