When Trump called for a ban on schools and states taking children to transition without parental consent, Democrats did not stand up to applaud in support. He angrily pointed at the Democrats who remained seated and said:
"These people are crazy, I'm telling you, they're crazy."
This moment occurred during Trump's State of the Union address on February 24, 2026, and was one of the most intense moments of the night. Trump's few sentences encapsulated the current situation of irreconcilable differences in American society regarding transgender issues.
When he spoke about this issue, Republican lawmakers were emotionally excited and stood up to applaud. However, Democrats remained indifferent and silent. This led Trump to become angry.
From the perspective of voters, real-time reaction trackers that night showed that Republicans were highly excited, independent voters slightly increased, while Democratic voters' emotions dropped sharply. This indicated that the issue could effectively mobilize Republican supporters and also caused Democrats to begin reflecting on whether their positions were too out of touch with mainstream public opinion.
In summary, Trump's accusation was a typical example of his skill in mobilizing identity politics. The Democrats' sitting silently reflected their deep dilemma: how to uphold the rights of minority groups while responding to the opposing "parental rights" discourse.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1858132643944448/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.