Trump supporters send tens of thousands of transphobic texts lying about Joe Biden in desperate attempt to revive campaign
US President Donald Trump (L) and Democratic Presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden. (JIM WATSON,SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty)
Republicans are sending tens of thousands of anti-trans texts per hour in Pennsylvania, where Donald Trump is trailing behind Joe Biden, in a desperate attempt to revive the president’s reelection bid.
The text, sent by the conservative and notoriously anti-trans American Principles Project, falsely claims: “Hi, I’m a Democratic volunteer with APP PAC. Did you see Joe Biden endorsed sex change operations for children as young as eight? That’s way too extreme and frankly it’s really weird.”
The text also links to a 30-second video, in which a narrator repeats the made-up claim that Joe Biden endorsed gender affirmation surgery for eight-year-old trans children, and describes the Democratic presidential nominee as a “pawn of the extreme left”.
What the hell is wrong with you people? You're THIS close from a libel lawsuit you fully deserve. Be on notice: I (and others) will be monitoring every word you post, and the second you go over the line, you're through. https://t.co/X1Gj4JbTj0 pic.twitter.com/28z6DrE5px
— Snack Phillip (@SuckqilleONeil) October 25, 2020
@ABC got this text today. the clip appears to be from @abc. Can you verify??
Who is APP PAC? (I can’t find any info & no one has responded to me from the source text.)Hi, I'm a Democratic volunteer with APP PAC. During a recent Town Hall, Joe Biden endorsed giving 8 and 10…🤷🏽♀️ pic.twitter.com/0jLFc6OzWv— SAWFitness (@SAWFitness) October 26, 2020
The video uses footage from the 15 October town hall in Philadelphia, at which Biden was asked by the mother of a trans child what he would do to reverse Donald Trump’s transphobic policies.
Mieke Haeck, who has an eight-year-old trans daughter, explained at the time how the Trump administration has “attacked the rights of transgender people”, highlighting the discriminatory transgender military ban, the weakening of non-discrimination protections and removal of the word “transgender” from government websites.
“How will you, as president, reverse this dangerous and discriminatory agenda and ensure that the lives and rights of LGBT+ people are protected under US law?” Haeck asked.
Biden responded: “I will flat out just change the law. Eliminate those executive orders, number one.”
At no point did either of them mention surgery, or any other medical intervention, for trans children.
But Terry Schilling, executive director of American Principles Project (APP), told the Philadelphia Inquirer that now the group had decided what the Democratic nominees views were on surgery for trans kids, it was “up to Joe Biden to come out and explicitly” explain his position.
Asked why the group had made false claims about what Biden really said, Schilling responded: “That’s what happens in politics. We’re connecting the dots and making a claim.”
Schilling said APP is targeting one million Democratic and independent voters in Pennsylvania with the anti-trans texts, using a group of around 100 volunteers, until the 3 November election. The technology they are using allows them to send around 10,000 texts per hour.
