Republicans have spent an estimated $183 million on television ads focused on transgender-related attacks against Democrats in the final phase of this year’s midterm elections, betting that struggling GOP candidates can leverage the divisive cultural issue to overcome voters’ concerns about President Donald Trump’s leadership and the state of the economy.
The massive investment through Oct. 25 produced about 217,000 TV spots nationwide and exceeds the amount Republicans spent on similar ads in 2024, a presidential election year, at the same point before Election Day, according to tallies provided to The Associated Press by data firm AdImpact.
The spending campaign matched messaging from other Republicans on the campaign trail, led by Trump, who has played down surging gasoline prices and other rising costs, but highlighted what he described as an urgent threat to America’s children from Democratic policies.
Every time I get a call or text or see an ad like this for a political campaign, I try to respond in a way that even idiots like these might be able to understand, something like: “The country is pretty much on fire, people are hurting all over, and you idiots want me to worry about gender and sports?”
Putting aside all the important arguments about bodily autonomy and liberty, I think it’s best to meet these people with the argument that what somebody else chooses for themselves has nothing to do with the welfare of the country in any way, shape or form. Even if it were an issue, and it is not, we have far bigger fish to fry what somebody else chooses to do that affects no one else.