Hello there I'm Chuck Todd and this is the Chuck Todd cast.

I'm Ross Leutenin was a Republican Congresswoman for three decades from South Florida until 2019.

It wasn't very long ago, but in the short time since she left office,

the Republican base has made at least one very significant cultural shift,

taking a sharp turn towards anti-trans rhetoric.

More than 20 states in the last couple of years now have laws banning gender affirming care

for transgender minors and since since January, Republican legislatures

have introduced more than 400 anti-trans bill,

double the number of anti-trans bills from 2022.

Former Congresswoman Ross Leightonen

has been deeply unsettled with the anti-trans animosity coming from her party particularly since her son

Rodrigo Heng Lehtinen is transgender. He's now the executive director of the National Center of Transgender Equality, and both Congresswoman Ross Lehtinen and

Rodrigo.

Join me now.

Welcome to the podcast.

Hey, thanks so much, Chuck.

Go Keynes.

Rodrigo, let me start with you because you take... Thanks for asking. Go can. Go canes.

Rodrigo, let me start with you because you take these arrows, your very being is being attacked.

I guess, how do you stay keeping a smile on your face?

How do you stay optimistic in the face of that sometimes?

Well, I you know it might sound naive but I stay optimistic because we I am confident we're going to come out the other side because all it really comes down to really

...