Mike Pence snubs crying mom who begged him to support trans rights

Mike Pence gave a chilling response to an Iowa mom who asked him about trans kids on Wednesday, after ignoring her tearful question addressing violence against Black and brown trans women.

The former vice president and Republican presidential hopeful wasted no time avoiding the issue of murdered sexual minorities, and then pandered to far-right GOP voters obsessed with “gender ideology”.

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He said the plaintiffs did not prove they “will suffer irreparable harm” while waiting for the November trial.

“What adults do in their lives, decisions that they make, including transgender adults, is one thing,” Pence said, implying the violence they attract is their own choice.

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“But for kids under the age of 18,” Pence said, they “don’t fully understand the consequences of their actions. “

“We’ve got to protect our kids from decisions that will affect them the balance of their lives.”

Melissa McCollister, a mom and social work professor at Grand View University in Iowa, fought back tears as she questioned Pence at the NewsNation town hall.

“What is your policy plan to protect the transgender community, specifically Black and brown trans women, from historically high levels of violence?” asked McCollister, who called herself “an LGBTQ member” with trans people in her family.

“I’m a Bible-believing Christian, and I have a particular view as to these matters, and you have a different view of those, perhaps,” Pence explained at one point in the exchange, avoiding McCollister’s question.

While Pence said he was “deeply grieved to hear about those tragic circumstances,” he hoped McCollister would hear his “heart” on the subject, too.

“I hope you hear in my strong sentiment on this,” Pence said, billboarding the far-right’s culture war obsession and saying that “the gender ideology that’s being, that’s being taught and has been taught in elementary schools and promoted among our kids” is at the top of his agenda.

“The idea that we are telling young, impressionable kids that little boys, that they can become girls, little girls that they can become boys, I just think is wrong.”

“There’s a reason why we don’t let you drive until you’re 16 in the state of Indiana,” Pence said. “You can’t get a tattoo until after you’re 18, you can’t drink until after you’re 21.”

McCollister shot back she’s raised a trans child, “and so to hear somebody tell me that it’s not okay for young children to make decisions about their gender identity and to ask their school officials for support, protection and help, is appalling.”

Almost as bad as Pence’s patronizing answers were the host’s condescending remarks.

NewsNation host Leland Vittert introduced McCollister by saying she “may have a little bit of a different view on this, but we wanted to let her ask you a question.”

Later in the exchange, Vittert asked the university professor, “Melissa, do you understand the Vice President’s idea that there is a difference between how adults conduct their lives and make decisions and that of how kids do?”