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The Internet’s Memeing Donald Trump’s “Transgender Operations” Comment & I Can’t Blame Them

If you watched the 2024 Presidential Debate on Sep. 10, you’re probably well aware of all the wild and jaw-dropping Donald Trump said while on stage. One of the most baffling comments — aside from him saying people are eating their pets —Trump made during the debate was when he claimed Vice President Kamala Harris wants to do “transgender operations on illegal immigrants that are in prison.” (Obvi, this isn’t true, just so we’re all on the same page.) I don’t know about you, but this has to be one of the most insane comments he’s made in his career — and he’s said *a lot* of out-of-pocket things over the years.

Trump’s statement ties loosely into the false claims of transgender children getting reassignment surgery. For someone who isn’t fully aware of the many dangers that the transgender community already faces, his statement was very harmful. 

But despite Trump’s comment being a direct attack toward the transgender community, it immediately caught the attention of social media users who have been having a field day reacting to the statement online. Rather than openly discussing their frustrations, most have turned the comment into a running joke and now, it’s become a meme that is taking the internet by storm.

Despite the hilarity, others decided to go more in-depth about Trump’s statement, while still making a joke out of it.

Even Kamala Harris couldn’t believe what Trump had said and with her facial expressions becoming an instant meme during the debate, it’s no surprise used it to react to his “aliens” comment.

Let’s be honest, these memes were the highlight of the night.

Makalah Wright is the Campus Correspondent at Her Campus at UWG chapter. For the chapter, she has written personal essays about real-life experiences and she encourages readers to take inspiration or learn from it. Beyond her position as the CC, she is also a national writer for the wellness section of the website. So far, she has written articles based on mental health, relationships, and other wellness-related topics. Currently, she is the fall 2024 entertainment and culture intern for Her Campus. She is a senior at the University of West Georgia, studying in public relations with a minor in music. After her undergrad, she plans to get a masters in public relations and work within the media industry. She also hopes to create her own foundation that will help with funding for the performing arts in schools. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with loved ones, shopping, traveling to new places, and drinking iced coffee. She also enjoys playing the clarinet and listening to all types of music, specifically jazz.