Jill Biden calls Trump a 'bully' who is 'dangerous' to LGBTQ people

First lady Jill Biden speaks before previewing the food and decorations at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, April 9, 2024, for the State Dinner for Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jill Biden rallied LGBTQ voters for President Joe Biden ‘s reelection campaign on Friday, calling likely rival Donald Trump a “bully” who is “dangerous” to their community and urging its members to “fight like hell” to keep the Republican from defeating her husband in November.

She said outside forces are working to undo the community’s “hard-won gains” by stripping away rights and freedoms and states are passing laws “targeting this community.” She encouraged members to spend every day until the Nov. 5 election working to gin up support for the Democratic ticket of Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Voters in this demographic overwhelmingly supported Biden in 2020. The president, who is struggling with a low public approval rating as well as softening support among other key groups that backed him in 2020, needs the LGBTQ community’s support.

“Donald Trump is a bully. He is dangerous to the LGBTQ community, to our families, to our country, and we cannot let him win,” the first lady said at the event held by the Human Rights Campaign, a prominent civil rights organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people.

“We have to fight like hell. Today, tomorrow and all the days after. Until the polls close on Nov 5. Until Joe and Kamala have won another term. Until all the people in all the places can live freely surrounded by love,” she said.

Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Human Rights Campaign event followed the launch this week of “Out for Biden-Harris,” which the president’s reelection campaign created to mobilize LGBTQ voters.

In her speech, Jill Biden said the president has advocated for LGBTQ people by signing the Respect for Marriage Act, ending a ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men, allowing transgender individuals to serve openly in the military and opposing conversion therapy.

She said outside forces are trying to “erase these hard-won gains.”

“They want to take our victories away but we won’t let them,” Biden said. “Your president will not let them. I will not let them.”