Speech at "AmericaFest"

Trump wants to end “transgender madness”

(Bild: APA/2024 Getty Images)

US President-elect Donald Trump has announced that he will put an end to the "transgender madness" on the day he takes office. The official policy of the US government will be "that there are only two genders, male and female", Trump declared on Sunday.

With his appearance at "AmericaFest" in the city of Phoenix, US President-elect Donald Trump gave a foretaste of how he is likely to stage his second term in office. It was the first speech of its kind since his election victory in early November and was reminiscent in style of his rallies in the months before - but was visually even more spectacular:

Topics from Musk's influence to the Panama Canal to TikTok
He also used the stage to respond to accusations that tech billionaire Elon Musk exerts too much influence on his politics, called for the Panama Canal to be reinstated, once again commented on the impending closure of the video app TikTok in the USA and took up controversial cultural policy issues, which he described as "woke bullshit".

"I will sign executive orders to end the sexual mutilation of children and ban transgender people from the military and from our (...) schools," said Trump. He wants to "keep men out of women's sports", the Republican further emphasized.

On the Panama Canal, Trump feels "ripped off".(Bild: APA/AFP/Orlando Sierra)

"We're being ripped off with the Panama Canal"
 He reiterated the threatening gesture against Latin America that he had already made - i.e. the announcement that he would reclaim control of the Panama Canal under certain circumstances. "Has anyone here ever heard of the Panama Canal?" he asked the audience at a right-wing conservative conference in Arizona. "Because we're getting ripped off with the Panama Canal, just like everywhere else."

Trump criticized the transit fees at the Panama Canal as "highly unfair". He called for control of the waterway to be handed back to the USA if it was not treated fairly. The canal - one of the world's most important trade routes - was built by the USA in the early 20th century and controlled for a long time before administration was gradually handed over to Panama. Panama's President José Raúl Mulino, however, said the fees would be transparent and determined in public hearings.

Trump has given high-tech mogul Elon Musk a lot of influence in the new government.(Bild: APA/Getty Images via AFP/GETTY IMAGES/Brandon Bell)

Trump: Musk is "not taking over the presidency"
In Phoenix, Trump also commented on Elon Musk's role, which had recently caused criticism during the budget negotiations in Congress. According to Forbes, the richest man in the world is accused of interfering in government work without a political mandate in order to pursue his own economic interests. Some Democrats mocked Musk as the true leader of the Republicans and ironically called him "President Musk".

Trump now firmly refuted this label, but did not directly deny Musk's influence behind the scenes. Instead, he explained: "No, he's not taking over the presidency. (...) But Elon has done a great job. Isn't it nice to have smart people we can rely on?"

Wants to keep TikTok "maybe for a while longer"
Trump was once again skeptical about the impending demise of TikTok. "Maybe we should keep this thing for a while longer", said the Republican. The video app from Chinese company Bytedance is under pressure in the US due to data protection concerns. A law passed in April requires the sale of TikTok by 19 January, otherwise it could be banned from American app stores and lose important infrastructure.

Migration: "Will no longer be overrun"
Another key topic of his speech was migration policy. As in the election campaign, Trump spoke of an "invasion" and used dehumanizing rhetoric. "We will no longer be invaded, we will no longer be overrun, we will no longer be conquered," he said. The migrants were all criminals or people from "insane asylums". "We will once again (...) be a nation we can be proud of." Mass deportations were a central promise of his election campaign. To implement this plan, Trump has already brought several right-wing hardliners into his team.

Who's who of the American right
AmericaFest is a major annual conference that celebrates conservative values, patriotism and activism. The multi-day event attracts thousands of participants and is organized by the organizations Turning Point Action and Turning Point USA. In addition to Trump, numerous prominent representatives of the ultra-right spectrum also appeared there, including Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, Sebastian Gorka and Matt Walsh.