Psychology

Preparing for a Second Trump Presidency: Concerns, Protective Actions, and Reasons for Hope Among Transgender Adults

Document Type

Article

Abstract

Introduction: The lead-up to the 2024 election was marked by Donald J. Trump’s pledge to advance legislative attacks on the rights of transgender (trans) people. Given the stressful implications of the 2024 election results for trans people, the current mixed-methods study sought to understand how trans adults in the U.S. were preparing for Trump’s presidency, with attention to (a) their concerns about victimization and well-being, (b) how they were seeking to prepare and protect themselves, and (c) what was giving them hope. Methods: 302 trans adults were surveyed via an online mixed-methods survey in December 2024, immediately after Trump’s re-election. Findings: 93% of participants were concerned about Trump’s presidency. Participants of color and low-income participants were more likely to be concerned about potential victimization, and nonbinary participants were more likely to be concerned about their mental health. Low-income participants and those in less trans-affirming states were less likely to pursue legal protections in advance of Trump’s presidency. Low-income participants were less likely to feel hopeful about the future, and nonbinary participants and trans men were less likely to feel hopeful than trans women. Analysis of the open-ended data revealed that participants were preparing for Trump’s presidency in various ways, including creating community, securing mental health resources, planning for potential relocation, and engaging in denial or radical acceptance. Participants often drew hope from their trans and LGBTQ+ community and from themselves, highlighting community connections and pride as key resilience factors. Conclusions: Findings have implications for understanding how trans people experience governmental harm and uncertainty and can inform future efforts to support trans people during future periods of intensifying attacks on their rights. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2026.

Publication Title

Sexuality Research and Social Policy

Publication Date

2026

ISSN

1868-9884

DOI

10.1007/s13178-026-01414-6

Keywords

election, hope, legal protections, mental health, support, trans, Trump

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