On Tuesday morning, Eric Trump confused Fox News viewers by referring to himself as "part of" the LGBTQ+ community. The younger Trump son was part of a panel on Fox & Friends, discussing the phenomenon of "secret Trump voters," many of whom he said identify as LGBTQ+ in some way. The clip of Trump's verbal slip-up quickly went viral online.
Trump was speaking quickly when he appeared to describe himself as "part of" the LGBTQ+ community on Tuesday. In full context, he seemed to be quoting a hypothetical LGBTQ+ voter of the kind he claims to talk to frequently. He said: "The LGBT community, they are incredible. And you should see how they come out in full force for my father every single day."
Trump then went on: "I'm part of that community, and we love the man." However, judging by his next remark, he was giving a sample of dialogue he might receive from an LGBTQ+ voter. He said: "Thank you for protecting our neighborhoods, and thank you for protecting our cities."
Still, the quote was easy to hear out of context, and social media had a field day with the idea that Trump would decide to publicly "come out" with some form of LGBTQ+ identity just one month before the 2020 presidential election. Responses ranged from jokes and jeers to derisive denials. Some revived old jokes about Trump's intelligence, speculating that he did not really know what LGBTQ+ means, but he didn't want to admit it.
As president, Donald Trump has a relatively poor track record on LGBTQ+ issues. In 2017, he rolled back protections for LGBTQ+ people in the workplace, which former President Barack Obama put in place. He also banned transgender Americans from serving openly in the U.S. Military, effectively forcing them back into the controversial "don't ask, don't tell" policy.
With all that in mind, critics got a kick out of Eric Trump's commentary on Tuesday. Here's a look at the responses his clip got.
Intentional Interpretation