Ed Martin Attacks Trans People to Argue Against Emergency Aid Programs

Political operative Ed Martin (Image from 2017 appearance on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360)

Ed Martin, president of Phyllis Schlafly Eagles, used ​the hardship some transgender people​ face as a ​reason to attack the implementation of ​proposed federal emergency aid programs in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

On Tuesday’s ​edition of​ “Breitbart News Tonight” on SiriusXM Patriot ​radio, ​Martin, acting as a guest co-host, and Breitbart News senior editor-at-large Rebecca Mansour spoke with Rep. Larry Bucshon of Indiana about the government’s response to the global coronavirus pandemic. Toward the end of the ​conversation, Martin encouraged Buschon to oppose any proposed relief efforts that are not temporary in nature ​as well as propositions to offer cash to low- and middle-income Americans ​negatively affected by the coronavirus pandemic and business​ closures across the country. ​

“The key to it is ‘temporary,’ right? Our listeners are begging us—actually they’re beating me and Rebecca up because we’re saying, ‘Stick with the president. You have to trust his judg​ment if you trust him now.’ But we have to know that people have our back on ‘temporary’ because, you know, Social Security and Medicare and lots of things started out as small programs and became entitlements,” Martin said.

He continued, “Here’s what I told somebody today: If the answer is ‘We’ll send you $1​,000 because times are tough​,’ every Democrat in America will tell you times are tough for every hyphenated American. We’ll have, ‘Transgenders need $1​,000 a month because it’s tough.’”

Buschon agreed with Martin and said it was important not to implement “long-term policy during a crisis​,”​ adding that he thought “most people on the Republican side completely agree” with him.

​Martin was fired ​from his position as a CNN contributor in 2018 after he referred to two African American guests he appeared on a panel with as “black racists.”