Trump claims ‘some of my biggest supporters’ are gay & support his plan to legalize discrimination

Donald Trump and Mike Pence shake hands onstagePhoto: Shutterstock

In a shocking response to a journalist, President Donald Trump finally acknowledged the Log Cabin Republicans controversial endorsement of his reelection campaign. Trump used it as a shield to deflect a question about his administration’s nonstop attacks on the LGBT community.

The same day the group put out their endorsement, the administration submitted a brief to the Supreme Court arguing that discrimination against LGBTQ people should be legalized. While numerous courts in multiple cases have found that the community is protected under existing civil rights laws, the administration argues that LGBT people shouldn’t be covered since they were not specifically included by name.

“Mr President,” a reporter asked during the scrum. “your administration has been taking steps to make it easier to discriminate against LGBT people in the workforce. Are you okay with that?”

Related: The new head of the Log Cabin Republicans calls Trump’s anti-LGBTQ policies ‘hiccups’

Trump’s rambling answer used Log Cabin’s endorsement as a “one of my best friends…” excuse as he stumbled to remember the name of the organization.

“Well, you know, I just got an award and an endorsement yesterday from a, the exact group that gave… You saw that? They gave me the endorsement yesterday and I was very honored to… Is it Log Cabin? The Log Cabin group.” Trump said as he stumbled through his answer. “And I was very honored to receive it.”

“No, I’ve done really well with that community,” Trump continued. “Some of my biggest supporters are of that community and I think that they, and I talk to them a lot about it. Uh, I think I’ve done really very well with that community. As you know, Peter Thiel and so many others, there with me all the way and they like the job I’m doing.”

“And I just got a big endorsement from the, uh, Log Cabin group.”

“Trump has not ‘done very well’ with the LGBTQ community,” a spokesperson for GLAAD responded. “In fact, he and his administration have rolled back protections and targeted LGBTQ people 123 times since 2017.”

Trump did not get an award from the group as he claimed, only an endorsement. The board’s decision to support the president’s reelection campaign has been so controversial that members – including former leaders – are now fleeing the group.