US President Donald Trump speaks during the daily briefing at the White House (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Donald Trump has admitted he doesn’t have a clue about the FDA’s decision to change the rules on men who have sex with men donating blood — despite effusive praise from gay Republicans.
The Log Cabin Republicans fell over themselves hailing Trump for his supposed role in the FDA rule change, which permits gay and bisexual men to give blood if they have abstained from sex for three months, rather than the previous 12 months.
The group posted a message praising Trump “for reducing the Obama-era 12-month prohibition of gay men giving blood” — incorrectly pinning the blame for the policy enacted at the heights of the AIDS crisis on the Obama administration, which significantly relaxed the previous lifetime ban in 2015.
Donald Trump admits he ‘didn’t know anything about’ blood ban change
However, when asked about the issue by a Washington Blade reporter at a press conference on April 3, Trump seemed completely clueless on the issue.
He said: “I didn’t know anything about that. That was done by the FDA, very capable people at the FDA.”
Despite the admission from the President himself, the Log Cabin Republicans have stuck by their claims that Trump is responsible for the move he knows nothing about.
Log Cabin Republicans managing director Charles Moran repeated his claim that Trump had “ordered” the change, telling the Washington Blade: “I stand by my statement that he had a role in this.”
When bonehead gay conservatives (read: Brad Polumbo & Judd Deere) claim that Trump isn’t anti-LGBT bc of the updated FDA gay blood ban — lets remember this moment:@chrisjohnson82: “Did you have a hand in that change?”
Pres. Trump: “No I didn’t know anything about that” pic.twitter.com/PBpTgRrDML
— Alex Paterson (@AlexPattyy) April 6, 2020
Meanwhile, Human Rights Campaign, an actual LGBT+ rights group, said: “LGBTQ people are not Trump’s priority. Never have been, and by every indicator, never will be.”
Gay Republicans frequently praise Trump for things he didn’t do
It’s not the first time that Trump has appeared to know absolutely nothing about an issue that he has been lavishly praised by gay Republicans for leading on.
After it was reported that the US would launch a campaign for the global decriminalisation of homosexuality in 2019, Trump appeared equally clueless during a press conference.
Asked about the supposed “push to decriminalise homosexuality around the world,” Trump admitted: “I don’t know which report you’re talking about. We have many reports.”
There has been little evidence of the existence of any such global effort on behalf of the Trump administration, beyond initial press releases.
Months later, right-wing group Turning Point USA falsely credited President Trump with the decriminalisation of gay sex in Botswana — a victory that came about due to a ruling by Botswana’s High Court.