President Donald Trump used an anti-trans slur Monday to attack the Democratic nominee for the Senate in South Carolina as he urged voters to back Republican Sen. Darline Graham.
In a Truth Social post, Trump referred to Democratic candidate Annie Andrews three times as “trannie.” He said Andrews, who is not transgender, is “not for South Carolina.”
“And South Carolina must show, in the upcoming Election, that it is not for her,” Trump added.
Andrews responded by largely ignoring the insult, saying in a statement first shared with NBC News that she will “work with anyone to put South Carolina first.”
“As a mom and a pediatrician, I’m in this race to fight for my patients, my three kids, and South Carolina,” Andrews said, adding that “lowering costs and making life better for families across our state is going to take all of us working together.”
“If you care more about your bills than the politics in Washington, this campaign is for you,” she said.
Graham’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the post by Trump, who often uses insulting nicknames for politicians and officials he dislikes.
Reached for comment on why Trump used the slur, the White House referred NBC News to his social media post.
The Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy organization, blasted Trump’s remarks, calling them “the sad, disgusting, pathetic diatribes of a lame duck president with record-low approvals.”
“So low, in fact, he’s having to campaign in deep red territory in a desperate attempt to shore up support ahead of the midterms,” Ramiro Sarmiento, a spokesperson for the organization, said in a statement.
Trump uses anti-trans slur against Democratic Senate candidate in South Carolina
