A Republican politician in Michigan is under fire after sending a round of unhinged fundraising emails and texts meant to appear as if the voter's child had been scheduled for gender confirmation surgery without their knowledge.
Michigan GOP state Senator Tom Barrett's texts were made to look like a medical appointment notification which listed the patient as "Your Child" and confirmed their "gender reassignment surgery has been booked."
The email version included a claim Democratic President Joe Biden is "forcing 5-year-olds to learn about gender reassignment surgeries"—an utter lie, of course, as is the notion gender confirmation surgery is even performed on minors.
It is not and never has been.
But like most Republicans, Barrett wasn't about to let that stop him from playing on parents' fears of having LGBTQ+ children in order to raise funds for his campaign.
See screenshots of the texts and emails below.
After fear-mongering about non-existent underage "gender reassignment surgery"--a term the medical field doesn't even use anymore, having long ago replaced it with "gender affirmation surgery"--the fake appointment confirmations went on to say:
“If you would like to CANCEL this appointment because you do not believe in teaching young children about dangerous transgender ideologies, please sign your name NOW.”
The emails and texts then make false claims about Biden's LGBTQ rights agenda and warns that "our children are doomed" if Democrats are not defeated.
Barrett has since replaced the texts and emails with a version that is no less unhinged. It reads in part:
“Democrats are HELLBENT on destroying our faith, removing God from the center of our nation, and pushing transgender ideology on young children.”
"Without your immediate support, Pelosi will have all the ammunition she needs to destroy Christian Republicans like Tom Barrett & completely eviscerate our traditional values.”
As usual for Republicans, Barrett provided no reasoning or evidence for his claims that American politics is essentially an anti-Christian holy war being waged by two lifelong churchgoers.
On Twitter, Barrett's fundraising tactics left people shocked and outraged--especially given the potential danger they posed to children should their parents not realize the notifications aren't real.
Barrett isn't the only Republican fighting a dirty game of hysteria in a bid to win elected office. His Republican Michigan Senate colleague Lana Theis accused three Democratic Michigan Senators of secretly being pedophiles In her fundraising materials earlier this month.
@chefbenqc/Threads
@the_tre_haus; beckysolwold/Threads
Ron Jarvis/Facebook
@kasialove/Bluesky
Barbara Boetsch/Facebook
@maupt68/Threads
@leftofliberal2025/Threads
@pattistraus/Threads
@sugarpillseattle/Threads
@BlueJock/X
@SentientHaze133/X
@DivinyPete/X
@SeanCasten/X
@IAmJoeTrudeau/X
@sensiblemiddle/X