President Ted Cruz Endorsement From Caitlyn Jenner? Republican Trans Woman Wants To Be His ‘Ambassador’
Caitlyn Jenner may be the face most of the cisgendered public associates with trans issues, but a recent near presidential endorsement for Ted Cruz is just the latest move that may have alienated her from her own community.
For months following her public transition, Caitlyn continued to discuss her support for Ted’s party — even saying she was hesitant to support marriage equality because she “kind of liked tradition.” On the new season of I Am Cait, she is even set to have a brawl with her fellow trans friend over the topic, reported the Daily Mail. While Cruz and his supporters launch transphobic attacks against basic rights, Jenner has stood on the sidelines, and it appears she might even start cheering.
While Caitlyn was careful not to give an official endorsement to Ted, she certainly wasn’t quick to tear him down either, in a profile from LGBT publication The Advocate. Jenner spoke quite positively of Cruz, even going as far to say that she found him “very nice” in person.
“I like Ted Cruz… I think he’s very conservative, and a great constitutionalist, and a very articulate man. I haven’t endorsed him or anything like that. But I also think, he’s an evangelical Christian, and probably one of the worst ones when it comes to trans issues.”
Jenner went on to diminish the importance of the problems facing the trans community in favor of economic problems that she sees as symptomatic of socialist leanings in the Democratic governments. Without giving an official endorsement, Caitlyn seems to believe that someone like Ted would really be a net positive for transgendered people. After all, she says, at least Cruz would give them jobs.
“I get it. The Democrats are better when it comes to these types of social issues. I understand that. Number one, if we don’t have a country, we don’t have trans issues. We need jobs. We need a vibrant economy. I want every trans person to have a job. With $19 trillion in debt and it keeps going up, we’re spending money we don’t have. Eventually, it’s going to end. And I don’t want to see that. Socialism did not build this country. Capitalism did. Free enterprise. The people built it. And they need to be given the opportunity to build it back up.”
Even with Jenner’s explanation, it’s difficult to imagine a situation where endorsing Ted would ever make sense in the greater scheme of the struggle for LGBT rights. Caitlyn, however, believes that she could serve as a sort of special envoy to a Cruz presidency to educate him about the devastating influence of discrimination on the daily lives of trans women.
“Wouldn’t it be great, let’s say he goes on to be president, and I have all my girls on a trans issues board to advise him on making decisions when it comes to trans issues. Isn’t that a good idea?… Trans ambassador to the president of the United States, so we can say, ‘Ted, love what you’re doing but here’s what’s going on.'”
It would be putting it lightly to say that Cruz does not support trans issues. In 2014, he was named the Advocate’s “phobie of the year,” an endorsement that Jenner — the self-proclaimed voice of trans women — seems to be less than put off by.
The behavior that won Ted the distinction doesn’t appear to have changed in the meantime either. In November, Cruz railed against transgendered bathroom bills that sought to allow kids to use the facilities of their corresponding gender, reported Buzzfeed.
“You know, the funny thing is, my 5-year-old knows there’s a difference between boys and girls. And yet modern Leftists can’t figure that out.”
Do you think a Ted Cruz endorsement for president from Republican Caitlyn Jenner could help out trans people?
[Image via Ethan Miller and Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Nederlander]
