In the US, the Trump campaign has spent nearly one-third of its campaign funds on anti-trans attack ads around major sporting fixtures and other popular events. Vox:

Given that trans people make up barely half of 1 percent of the US adult population and that trans-related issues are low on the priority list of most voters, many might find it baffling that Trump has focused so much of his attention on singling out trans people. Indeed, two media research groups, the left-leaning Data for Progress and video marketing firm Ground Media, working in partnership with GLAAD, each released studies last week finding that the ads had no real impact on voter decision-making and instead alienated many viewers, even among Republicans, who felt they were “mean-spirited.”

So why are they doing it? One reason is because by yelling about trans people, the Trump campaign can distract attention from their many failings – a strategy that’s been widely used by right-wing politicians worldwide, even though it doesn’t result in electoral success. But another key reason is because they really fucking hate trans people, and the ads help spread that hate. Vox again:

these ads help to reinforce the idea of a common enemy. They are continuing — which is to say winning, in a very real sense — the larger ongoing culture war against queer and trans people.

One of the most chilling explanations I’ve read, and I really hope it’s wrong, is that because the Trump campaign is likely to suffer a major electoral defeat it is preparing the ground for a violent response: its very vocal attacks on trans people and on immigrants in particular are telling the MAGA mobs who to target.

Vox again:

It’s vital to recognize the parallels to Hitler’s Germany here (especially given John Kelly’s recent allegations that Trump praised Hitler himself): to understand that trans and queer people aren’t being attacked in isolation, but rather in tandem with immigrants, the disabled and mentally ill, and women.