Caitlyn Jenner explains ‘Make America Great Again’ hat mishap, apologises to trans community
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 26: Television personality Caitlyn Jenner speaks during the SiriusXM ‘Town Hall’ with Caitlyn Jenner; ‘Town Hall’ to air on Andy Cohen’s exclusive SiriusXM Channel Radio Andy at SiriusXM Studios on April 26, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
Caitlyn Jenner has given an explanation, and an apology, for wearing a pro-Trump baseball cap, just days after Donald Trump banned trans people from the military.
The transgender Olympian and reality star was photographed by TMZ riding around in a classic car, wearing a red cap bearing Trump’s campaign slogan ‘Make America Great Again’.
The picture came just days after Jenner condemned Trump for announcing he would re-impose a ban on transgender soldiers serving openly in the military.
Reversing a decision under Barack Obama, Trump claimed in a string of tweets that the military “cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail”.
But according to TMZ, the hat was just a big mishap, and Jenner has apologised for wearing it.
She even vowed to throw it away.
The site reports that Jenner went to her country club to play golf, and drove her Austin-Healey, a convertible.
She said she grabbed a hat from her closet without checking what was on it, rather than mess up her hair, driving to the course, playing a round and then switched to a visor when she visited Starbucks.
But the story is not over – she then apparently put back on the Trump hat before realising she had left her bag in Starbucks.
When she went into the coffee shop the second time, she says she forgot to switch the hat back, and that she thinks a member of the paparazzi spotted her then and snapped a photo.
Jenner told TMZ: “What he’s doing to our community is absolutely f***ing awful. I apologise to all of the trans community. I made a mistake. I will never do it again and I’m getting rid of the hat.”
In a lengthy statement last week Jenner had slammed Trump.
She claimed: “For those brave people fighting for our nation, Trump’s early morning tweets must be devastating. I believe every American should be outraged by the disrespect shown to those people wearing our country’s uniform. Furthermore, this half-baked idea puts all of our service members in harm’s way.
“Does President Trump intend to just pull 15,000 people out of every critical position to which they are currently assigned? That would disrupt core military missions around the world and needlessly endanger our troops.”
She added: “The Pentagon has been working for years on a policy that will ensure that transgender people can serve openly in the military with the full support of their leadership…. there is absolutely no reason to undo all that work because President Trump decided to send a few tweets this morning.
“The President must ask himself which side of history he will be on — and reverse his position immediately.
She added: “America’s 15,000 trans service members and 134,000 veterans are much braver than you, Mr. Trump; my allegiance is with them and our country, not you.”
Perhaps someone could send her a ‘Make America Transgender Again’ cap.
Jenner had originally offered herself as a trans ambassador for the Trump administration.
Her unfettered adoration for Trump did not last, however.
When the president repealed an Obama era protection for trans people using the bathroom, Jenner hit out at Trump, writing: “From one Republican to another, this is a disaster.
“You made a promise to protect the LGBTQ community. Call me.”
He didn’t.
However, Jenner has insisted she ‘doesn’t regret’ voting for Trump.
She said: “As far as LGBT issues, yes, he’s made some mistakes. I don’t support him in everything that he does. But we needed to shake the system up.
“To, you know, to have career politicians constantly, the Clintons, the Bushes, run this country. We need to get outside that box and shake things up again.”
