After making anti-trans attacks the center of his campaign, Donald Trump now claims hes not preoccupied with stripping trans peoples rights since they make up such a small percentage of the population. Trump was recently named Times 2024 Person of the Year, and in his extensive interview with the publication said he agreed with transgender Rep.-elect Sarah McBride (D-DE) that lawmakers should focus on more pressing issues than where she will use the bathroom. Related Donald Trumps Secretary of Defense nominee thinks LGBTQ+ soldiers harm the military Pete Hegseth thinks the estimated 126,827 LGBTQ+ military service members erode standards of the US military. I do agree with that. On thatabsolutely, he said. As I was saying, its a small number of people. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The interviewer brought up Trumps assertion in 2016 that trans people could use any bathroom they wanted. Trump replied that he did not want to get into the bathroom issue since its a very small number of people and its ripped apart our country. Theyll have to settle whatever the law finally agrees, he continued. I am a big believer in the Supreme Court, and Im going to go by their rulings, and so far, I think their rulings have been rulings that people are going along with, but were talking about a very small number of people, and were talking about it, and it gets massive coverage, and its not a lot of people. The comments run directly counter to the vicious anti-trans campaign Trump ran, spreading outrageous lies that schools are forcibly transitioning kids without parental consent and spending millions of dollars on anti-trans ads that many believe helped swing the election in his favor.The Time staff called him out on the contradiction, pointing out that one of the ads he put the most money behind declared Trump is for us and Harris is for they/them. Well its true, Trump replied. Trump is for us. I mean, Trump is definitely for us, okay? And us is the vast, vast majority of people in this country. And also, I want to have all people treated fairly. You know, forget about majority or not majority. I want people to be treated well and fairly.After saying he wants everyone to be treated fairly, he proceeded to confirm the possibility that his administration will reverse President Joe Bidens anti-discrimination protections for trans kids under Title IX. Im going to look at it very closely, he said. Were looking at it right now. Were gonna look at it. Were gonna look at everything. Look, the country is torn apart. Were gonna look at everything.Trump has already announced a bevy of anti-LGBTQ+ nominees for Cabinet positions, and he reportedly plans to reinstitute his trans military ban immediately upon taking office. Project 2025, widely considered to be the blueprint for his second term, essentially calls for a complete elimination of LGBTQ+ rights. Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.