Republican Calls Out Trump Admin Cutting Suicide Hotline: 'This is Wrong'
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A Republican congressman has called out the Trump administration for cutting the 988 National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline service tailored to LGBTQ+ youth.
"This is wrong," Representative Mike Lawler of New York wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
"According to studies, LGBTQ+ young people have an elevated risk of suicide and are more likely than their peers to attempt it. We should ensure they have the resources necessary to get help. The 988 hotline has been a lifesaver. This decision should be reversed."
Newsweek contacted Lawler and the White House for comment via emails sent outside regular business hours.
Why It Matters
The LGBTQ+ youth program has served more than 1.3 million callers since it launched in September 2022, federal data shows. Since then, callers could press 3 on the phone to be connected to a counselor specifically trained to help LGBTQ+ youth.
Studies have shown that LGBTQ+ youth are at higher risk of suicide. A report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last year found about 26 percent of transgender and gender-questioning students had attempted suicide in the past year, compared with 5 percent of cisgender male and 11 percent of cisgender female students.
The closure of the 988 service comes as President Donald Trump has targeted transgender people with executive orders since returning to office in January. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court upheld Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors.
Sign for the 988 Lifeline mental health emergency hotline in Walnut Creek, California, on December 20, 2024.
Sign for the 988 Lifeline mental health emergency hotline in Walnut Creek, California, on December 20, 2024.
Getty Images
What To Know
The 988 hotline will stop providing tailored support options to LGBTQ+ and young adults on July 17, according to a statement on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) website. The decision preempts the Trump administration's 2026 budget proposal to cut funding for 988's LGBTQ+ youth and young adult services.
The Trevor Project said on Wednesday that it received official notice on Tuesday that the White House had ordered the closure of the program.
The nonprofit, which is dedicated to preventing suicide among LGBTQ+ youth, is one of seven centers that provides 988 crisis support services for LGBTQ+ people and responds to almost half who contact the lifeline.
SAMHSA's statement said the decision was made to "no longer silo" the services and "to focus on serving all help seekers, including those previously served through the Press 3 option."
The statement referred to "LGB+ youth services," omitting the markers for transgender and queer people.
Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black called the decision to omit the "T" representing transgender people "callous."
"Transgender people can never, and will never, be erased," Black said.
What People Are Saying
Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black said in a statement: "Suicide prevention is about people, not politics. The administration's decision to remove a bipartisan, evidence-based service that has effectively supported a high-risk group of young people through their darkest moments is incomprehensible."
He added: "I want every LGBTQ+ young person to know that you are worthy, you are loved, and you belong—despite this heartbreaking news. The Trevor Project's crisis counselors are here for you 24/7, just as we always have been, to help you navigate anything you might be feeling right now."
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration said in its statement: "Everyone who contacts the 988 Lifeline will continue to receive access to skilled, caring, culturally competent crisis counselors who can help with suicidal, substance misuse, or mental health crises, or any other kind of emotional distress. Anyone who calls the Lifeline will continue to receive compassion and help."
Daniel H. Gillison, Jr., the CEO of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), said in a statement: "The 988 Lifeline has been one of the most impactful mental health and suicide prevention innovations in recent years—connecting millions of people in crisis to immediate, lifesaving care.
"It has also played a key role in building awareness, reducing stigma, and making support more available to people who need it most. As we mark Pride Month, we at NAMI are incredibly disheartened that the administration has announced the elimination of these services for America's LGBTQ+ youth, a community that, tragically, is at high risk for suicide."
What Happens Next
The Trevor Project is calling on people to sign a petition to demand lawmakers act to reverse the decision.
The nonprofit said it would continue to run its 24/7 mental support services. SAMHSA said 988 will serve anyone who calls with compassion.
If you or someone you know needs help, you can contact the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.
You can contact the Trevor Project's trained crisis counselors 24/7 by calling 1-866-488-7386, via chat at TheTrevorProject.org/Get-Help, or by texting START to 678 678.
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