Caitlyn Jenner defends being a Republican despite Trump’s record on LGBT rights

Caitlyn Jenner's home burned down in California wildfire

Caitlyn Jenner is a trans rights advocate and a Republican and sees no contradiction in that.

As an openly Republican voter in Hollywood, Jenner is a rare creature—but she isn’t ashamed of supporting the party of President Donald Trump, despite her disappointment in his anti-LGBT+ policies.

“I’ve always been on the Republican side. I think it’s a good thing, because I’ve got an in. Has this administration set us backwards? Absolutely,” the Olympic champion told Variety, which dedicated its latest issue to transgender people in Hollywood.

The interview focused on Jenner’s advocacy in Washington DC. “I can talk to these people and say we’re not crazy,” she said, admitting that the Republican Party’s conservative stance on social rights is an issue. “It’s their biggest problem and I work on those things,” she said.

Jenner supported Trump in the 2016 presidential election, impressed by how he became the first GOP candidate to express support for LGBT+ rights during in his speech to the Republican National Convention—a stance that, former White House press secretary Sean Spicer recently revealed, Trump cynically took to win over the support of some “Never Trump” delegates at the convention.

Jenner said she has not spoken to Trump since he became president, but she nonetheless has a message for him:  “Get over it!” she told Variety. “I honestly don’t know what happened when he got in there. It was extraordinarily disappointing,” she added.

Caitlyn Jenner speaks onstage during the 27th Annual GLAAD Media Awards at Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York on May 14, 2016 (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty for GLAAD)

The activist has publicly rebuked Trump on various issues affecting the trans community, including his administration’s reversal of Obama-era transgender bathroom protections and the proposed ban on transgender people serving in the military.

“I fight those wars,” Jenner said, describing her work as an advocate. Comparing the situation of trans rights to that of gay rights a few decades ago, and how the gay community continually fought for their rights, she expressed optimism about the future: “We’ll be ok in the end.”

Jenner said she’s not interested in running for office, despite having briefly considered it a few years ago, saying she couldn’t see herself being in DC. “I can influence more votes by being on the outside,” she said.


Caitlyn Jenner (L) and Sophia Hutchins at Steven Tyler and Live Nation presents Inaugural Janie’s Fund Gala & GRAMMY Viewing Party at Red Studios in Los Angeles, January 28, 2018 (Tommaso Boddi/Getty)

She however expressed her intention to return to acting. Before she transitioned, she had small roles in several movies after, her transition, she also appeared in an episode of Amazon’s award-winning series Transparent. 

As for her personal life, Jenner refused to discuss the much-rumoured relationship to Sophia Hutchins, who was present during the interview. They denied being a couple. “But we are very close. We do a lot of things together. We’re kind of inseparable. We’re the best of friends,” Jenner said.