Full Breakdown
Trump Targets Senate Candidate Annie Andrews Over Transgender Policy Record
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
President Donald Trump has launched a series of Truth Social posts and an attack ad aimed at Annie Andrews, a pediatrician and Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in South Carolina. Trump labels Andrews “Annie Trannie” and accuses her of supporting policies that allow biological males to compete in women’s sports. The campaign messaging arrives as Andrews begins her 2026 Senate bid, positioning the issue as a central point of contention in the upcoming midterm elections.
Background & Context
In 2022 South Carolina enacted the Save Women’s Sports Act, which barred transgender athletes from participating on teams that do not align with their sex assigned at birth. At the time, Andrews publicly called the legislation “shameful” and “actively harmful.” Her earlier social-media post described the bill as “dangerous” and an “attack on our youth.”
The controversy mirrors a broader pattern among Democratic office-seekers. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Rep. Don Davis (D-NC), and candidate Sarah Trone Garriott (D-IA) have each faced Republican scrutiny for perceived shifts on transgender-athlete policies.
Public opinion reflects the political stakes. A Pew Research Center report released in August found that 73 % of respondents were “not at all” or “not too” comfortable with athletes competing on teams that do not match their sex at birth, while 66 % said they would support laws requiring trans athletes to compete according to biological sex.
Official Statements & Responses
Andrews told Fox News Digital, “I don’t support biological men playing in women’s sports and I don’t support gender surgery on minors.” She added that name-calling would not distract her from issues such as “lowering gas and diesel prices” and “making healthcare more affordable” for South Carolinians.
Criticism & Opposition
In 2022, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) criticized Andrews for allegedly walking back her opposition to H. 4047, a bill that would criminalize gender-affirming procedures for minors.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I don't support biological men playing in women's sports and I don't support gender surgery on minors,” — Annie Andrews
- “And in regards to the name-calling, if calling me names is going to lower gas and diesel prices here for so many hardworking South Carolinian families, if it’s going to lower grocery prices or somehow make healthcare more affordable then he can call me all the names he wants but I don’t think that’s a path to solution so I’m going to stay focused on what I can do to help folks in South Carolina,” — Annie Andrews
- “Annie Andrews' blatant lies show just how desperate she is and how little she thinks of South Carolinians. But nothing Andrews says or does will change her far-left record,” — Nick Puglia, regional press secretary