Trump: Leave transgender issue to states

by Jesse Byrnes - 05/13/16 12:57 PM ET

Donald Trump on Friday declined to criticize the Obama administration’s directive to public schools that transgender people be allowed to use the restrooms that match their gender identity.

The presumptive GOP presidential nominee said he’s always felt it should be left to states to decide on the issue, amid continued debate and legal battle over a law in North Carolina.

{mosads}”I believe it should be states’ rights and I think the states should make the decision, they’re more capable of making the decision,” Trump said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”

Asked directly if he was against the administration’s directive, Trump responded, “I just think it should be states’ rights. I think many things actually should be states’ rights, but this is a perfect example of it.”

Trump echoed that sentiment on NBC’s “Today” show when asked if he agreed with the directive, as well as on “Fox and Friends” after a co-host mentioned that schools that don’t comply with the guidance could lose federal funding and face lawsuits, according to a letter issued to public schools across the country Friday.

“I think this should be a states’ issue. It’s become a huge story and yet it affects — and everybody has to be protected, if it’s one person — but it’s a tiny, tiny portion of the population, and it’s become a massive story,” Trump said. “I think there should be a states’ issue.”

Trump shied away from entering the debate itself. Asked if he thought boys should use the bathroom corresponding to their birth gender, the New York billionaire responded, “It’s a new issue. Right now I just don’t have an opinion. But what I would like to do is I would like to see the states make that decision.”

The guidance from the Obama administration on Friday comes amid a court battle between the Justice Department and North Carolina over the state’s law mandating people use restrooms that correspond to their biological sex as listed on their birth certificate.

Trump weighed in on the issue last month, saying North Carolina unnecessarily mandated what restrooms transgender people use and that he’d allow transgender people to use whatever bathroom they want.

Tags Donald Trump HB2 North Carolina