President Trump has ignored Jackie Evancho’s requests to discuss trans rights
Teenage reality star Jackie Evancho says she hasn’t heard back since requesting a meeting with President Trump.
The former America’s Got Talent star, who has a trans sister, sang at Trump’s inauguration.
Evancho was one of the only stars to perform at the Trump ceremony last month, flouting a celebrity boycott.
She has spoken out about Trump’s reversal of trans rights since he took office – requesting a meeting with the POTUS to discuss the issues.
President Trump had said she is “welcome” to a meeting with the President after she complained that he targeted her trans sister’s rights.
However she’s now confirmed that the president hasn’t responded to her requests for a meeting.
This is despite White House press secretary Sean Spicer claiming Trump would be willing to sit down with the Evanchos, saying: “Yeah, I think the president would be welcome to meet with her.”
Now she’s Tweeted at Trump in a bid to get him while she visits Washington.
Reaching out to Trump once again, she tweeted: “@realDonaldTrump – THANK YOU for being open to meeting with me to discuss #trans rights. I’ll be in #DC on 3/30 & 3/31. Can we meet?”.
The latest requests have also gone unanswered.
Asked about a potential meeting, she told Tribune Live: “I don’t know what I’ll say exactly,” said Evancho.
“But I do know that my goal is going to be to take the ‘state issue’ now and make it federal, so that there can be a law or something passed to protect my sister and people like her.”
“Just because I disagree with the president doesn’t mean that I despise him,” Jackie Evancho said.
“I’m American and have the right to disagree with my president.”
The singer’s decision to perform baffled many as she has a transgender sister, Juliet Evancho, whose rights were expected to be harmed under Trump administration plans.
Trump officially rolled back protections for transgender children like Juliet in schools, issuing an order to reverse discrimination protections put in place by Barack Obama.
The teenager said: “I want to make him aware of the horrors that my sister deals with in terms of discrimination,” she said.
“She’s had some really terrible things like trash thrown at her, name-calling, things thrown at her head.”
Jackie Evancho tweeted following the announcement: “I am obviously disappointed in the @POTUS decision to send the #transgender bathroom issue to the states to decide. #sisterlove
“@realDonaldTrump u gave me the honor 2 sing at your inauguration. Pls give me & my sis the honor 2 meet with u 2 talk #transgender rights”.
Juliet Evancho has been embroiled in a legal battle with her school over her right to use the female bathroom – and will now likely face opposition from Trump’s Attorney General if the case reaches federal court.
Jackie previously said she could “100 percent” support her sister’s fight for legal rights and sing for Trump at the same time.
She said: “For me it’s not political It’s just accepting people for who they are… I just kind of thought that this [performance] is for my country, so if people are going to hate on me it’s for the wrong reason.”
The girls’ dad Mike Evancho said: “We’re fighting this discrimination at the high school… it doesn’t matter who’s going into office, we would still fight that fight.”
