A resurfaced television clip from 2016 is drawing renewed attention to the dramatic shift in US President Donald Trump’s approach to trans rights, contrasting markedly with the policies and rhetoric he has pursued since returning to the White House.
The footage, widely shared online this week, comes from an appearance on NBC Today in April 2016, during Trump’s first run for the Republican presidential nomination. Asked about proposed “bathroom bills” in North Carolina that would have restricted trans people from using toilets aligned with their gender identity, Trump struck a notably permissive tone.
“You leave it the way it is,” he said at the time. “There have been very few complaints the way it is. People go. They use the bathroom that they feel is appropriate. There’s been so little trouble.”
During the same appearance, Trump was asked whether Caitlyn Jenner - who had come out as trans the previous year - would be allowed to use women’s facilities in Trump Tower. “That is correct,” he replied.
Donald Trump has expressed support for transgender individuals using bathrooms that align with their gender identity.
— Latest news (@issu_official0) April 22, 2026
He stated that Caitlyn Jenner would be permitted to use women’s restrooms in Trump Tower. pic.twitter.com/7OpUpptWrv
The comments stand in stark contrast to Trump’s record in office and on the campaign trail over the past decade. Since being sworn in as the 47th president of the United States in January 2025, Trump has signed a series of executive orders rolling back federal recognition and protections for transgender and non‑binary people.
On his first day back in office, Trump signed an order titled Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government, which declares it US policy to “recognise two sexes, male and female”, defined as fixed and based on birth assignment.
In his inauguration address, Trump reiterated that position, saying his administration would end what he described as “the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life”.
The changes have had tangible consequences. Federal identity documents, including passports, now only permit male or female sex markers, while references to “gender” have been removed from many official communications. Federal funding has also been restricted for initiatives deemed to “promote gender ideology”, and transgender prisoners have lost access to gender‑affirming care and placement in facilities matching their gender identity.
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