Republicans Trust Trump the Least on Handling LGBTQ+ Issues: Poll

A new poll from YouGov shows Republicans do not trust President Donald Trump’s ability to handle LGBTQ+ issues.

Newsweek reached out to the White House and Log Cabin Republicans via email on Tuesday for comment.

Why It Matters

Trump’s administration has implemented a series of policies that directly affected the LGBTQ+ community, including banning transgender individuals from military service and rolling back workplace protections. Despite his strong backing within the GOP on many issues, his stance on LGBTQ+ rights remains divisive.

Polling data underscores this disconnect. While an overwhelming majority of Republicans support Trump’s handling of economic and immigration policies, his approval rating on LGBTQ+ issues lags behind, according to a recent YouGov poll.

What To Know

Trump enjoys strong support within the Republican Party on many key issues, but LGBTQ+ rights are a notable exception. According to a recent YouGov poll—titled “Which issues are Americans most likely to trust Donald Trump to handle as president?”—Trump is trusted the least on LGBTQ+ issues.

While 87 percent of Republicans trust Trump to handle the economy and immigration, only 61 percent have the same confidence in his handling of LGBTQ+ issues, which is tied with abortion for the lowest of all the issues surveyed. Additionally, 19 percent of Republicans have no trust at all in his handling of LGBTQ+ issues, and 15 percent express no trust in his handling of transgender issues.

On January 20, 2025, Trump signed an executive order titled “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” which instructed federal agencies to recognize only two unchangeable sexes determined at conception.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) took several actions under Trump’s administration to roll back protections for LGBTQ+ individuals. On January 28, 2025, the EEOC issued a memo reversing policies that protected LGBTQ+ workers from discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Additionally, the EEOC sought to dismiss several gender discrimination cases, arguing that they conflicted with Trump’s executive order recognizing only two sexes.

On February 5, 2025, Trump signed an executive order titled “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” barring transgender women and girls from competing in female sports.

On February 14, 2025, the U.S. Army announced on X (formerly Twitter) that it will no longer allow transgender individuals to enlist and will stop providing gender-affirming care for service members. This decision follows the executive order from Trump on January 27, which argues that a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with military standards of readiness and cohesion.

Trump justified his decisions by emphasizing that the executive order “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” is focused on fairness and protecting female athletes, ensuring that men cannot compete in women’s sports to maintain the integrity of Title IX. In the “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism” executive order, Trump highlighted the policy of recognizing only two sexes, condemning gender ideology for its harmful effects on children and women and directed federal agencies to follow this binary definition of sex.

Critics argue that Trump’s administration is ignoring pressing national issues such as food and gas prices, climate change and gun violence while focusing on targeting less than 1 percent of the population through controversial executive orders that face legal challenges.

What People Are Saying

President Donald Trump stated in an executive order: “Beyond the hormonal and surgical medical interventions involved, adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle, even in one’s personal life. A man’s assertion that he is a woman, and his requirement that others honor this falsehood, is not consistent with the humility and selflessness required of a service member.”

Brandon Wolf, national press secretary at the Human Rights Campaign, told Newsweek: “The American people value freedom—not as a hollow campaign slogan, but as a fundamental value worth defending. That’s why there is broad support for LGBTQ+ equality, protecting people from discrimination, and the right of everyone to live, work, and play without politicians standing in the way. It’s not surprising, then, that people across the political divide see Donald Trump’s crusade for what it is: an effort to strip people of their freedoms and hand power and wealth to his loyalists.”

A spokesperson from GLAAD told Newsweek: “Our nation is fighting food and gas prices, extreme weather and climate change, and an epidemic of gun violence while Trump remains hyper fixated on bullying less than 1 percent of the population through clumsily written executive orders that are all facing legal challenges. It’s no surprise that neither Republicans nor Democrats trust Trump to lend a sensible voice or perspective on transgender people or issues. His failure to hold even the most basic understanding about transgender people is a glaring sign that he was never an advocate for working people or our most vulnerable communities.”

What Happens Next

There have been some recent developments highlighting the ongoing efforts and challenges in advocating for LGBTQ+ rights. LGBTQ+ youth activists in Texas successfully curbed censorship efforts, while New Jersey has enacted a new law protecting transgender students from discrimination. Additionally, a rally at New York City’s Stonewall National Monument last week drew over 1,000 people protesting the removal of transgender people’s history from the National Park Service website.