41% of Republican Voters Agree That GOP’s Anti-Trans Rhetoric is ‘Sad and Shameful’

A new survey from the progressive polling firm Data for Progress shows that voters across party lines are fed up with candidates using anti-trans rhetoric on the campaign trail.

Former President Donald Trump’s campaign has spent more than $21 million on political advertisements attacking Vice President Kamala Harris this election cycle over her support of transgender rights — and stoking fears about transgender people’s presence in public life.

In an ad that has run nationally and in swing states and is circulating widely online, the Trump campaign takes aim at Harris’ prior support of gender-affirming care for people in prisons. It ends with the tagline: “Kamala is for they/them; President Trump is for you.”

A new report from Data for Progress out Thursday shows that voters across party lines believe these ads have gotten out of hand — and that they think Democrats are better equipped to handle LGBTQ+ issues than Republicans.

The progressive polling firm surveyed 1,216 likely U.S. voters about candidates’ stances on transgender rights. Respondents were asked whether they agreed or disagreed with a series of statements.

Asked if they viewed Republican candidates’ use of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric in their campaigns as “sad and shameful,” 41% of Republicans and 58% of independent voters agreed. That compares to 38% of Republicans and 25% of independents who do not think it’s “shameful.”