Don’t tell MAGAs, but Donald Trump admitted 8 years ago that trans people should use whatever bathroom they want

8 years ago, the world was a wildly different place. Leonardo DiCaprio finally clinched his well-deserved Oscar, the Chicago Cubs shattered their 108-year World Series curse, and in a seemingly progressive move, Donald Trump supported transgender individuals using the bathroom they felt most comfortable with.

Yes, you read that right ⏤ the same man who has recently taken his extremism to new heights actually advocated for transgender rights back in 2016. During a town hall event in that year, Trump argued against North Carolina’s controversial bathroom law that barred individuals from using public bathrooms that did not correspond to their biological sex. He surprisingly opposed the bill, stating that people should “use the bathroom they feel is appropriate.” Trump even acknowledged that the law had caused problems for North Carolina, with businesses leaving the state and strife among its citizens. He advocated for leaving things “the way it is,” noting that there had been “very few complaints” before the law was passed.

What happened to that Trump? Was it all just a primetime act? It sure looks that way. Once he got his stubby little fingers on the keys to the White House, it was goodbye to all that bathroom bill opposition and hello to rolling back protections for transgender students. His administration rescinded guidance that clarified Title IX protections for transgender students, which had allowed them to use bathrooms and locker rooms corresponding to their gender identity. Perhaps the most widely publicized policy was the ban on transgender individuals serving in the military. It reversed the 2016 decision by the Obama administration that allowed transgender people to serve openly.

Now, with his Agenda 47, Trump has taken his anti-transgender rhetoric to new heights. He’s vowed to slash funding for schools that dare to acknowledge the existence of gender diversity, and has sworn to bar transgender athletes from competing as their authentic selves. In a particularly vile move, he’s labeled life-saving, medically-necessary care for transgender youth as “child abuse” and “mutilation,” peddling baseless claims that make medical experts’ blood boil.

Indeed, Trump has morphed into an extremist caricature. He has also gleefully embraced the fringe group Project 2025, welcoming them into his 2.0 cabinet. The chilling crescendo of this campaign is not just Trump’s doing. He’s backed by a Republican Party that has fully embraced anti-transgender hysteria as its electoral bread and butter. According to Washington Post reporter Casey Parks, Republicans spent nearly $215 million on television ads that vilify transgender individuals and promote anti-trans narratives. The spending translates to approximately $134 per transgender person in the U.S. — an attack against a community that represents about 1% of the population.

With Sarah McBride stepping up to the plate as America’s first transgender congressperson, you know the drama’s just gonna escalate from here. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Nancy Mace have already launched a preemptive strike, proposing discriminatory bathroom bills and hurling accusations of “assault.”