Ro Khanna says that Democrats need to stand firmly behind the trans community

California Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, who represents Silicon Valley, has made it clear he is not backing down from political fights, whether they involve tech billionaire Elon Musk, Vice President JD Vance, or his own party’s approach to countering Donald Trump.

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Last week, The Advocate sat down with Khanna for an extended discussion about his X run-ins with Musk and Vance, and also about why the Democrats need to step up their game in confronting Trump.

First, Khanna found himself in the crosshairs of Musk after calling for the Treasury Department to prevent the billionaire from accessing sensitive financial data and demanding that he testify before Congress. The dispute stemmed from concerns over Musk’s alleged interference in government-approved payments, which Khanna insisted required oversight.

“If Elon Musk is stopping payments that Congress has lawfully appropriated, he needs to come before the committee and explain himself,” Khanna told me. He also criticized a procedural maneuver that prevented him from voting directly on a measure to summon Musk, but made it clear where he stood.

Musk responded with a blunt insult, telling Khanna, “Don’t be a dick.” But Khanna remained unfazed, framing the issue as a matter of constitutional integrity. “This is what happens when we challenge powerful figures,” he said. “We have to stand up for the Constitution. We swore an oath to that, and all of us in Congress and in the Executive Branch need to uphold that oath.”

The Democratic representative also sparred with Vance over the rehiring of a former Department of Justice employee who had previously made racist comments about Indian Americans and expressed support for repealing the Civil Rights Act. The Department of Government Efficiency employee also posted, “I was racist before it was cool.”

Khanna questioned whether someone with such views should be welcomed back into government service without taking responsibility for past remarks. “No one is saying cancel him,” Khanna clarified. “But if you're bringing someone back into government, shouldn’t there be some form of accountability? Shouldn’t he at least acknowledge the harm caused? Shouldn’t he apologize?”

Khanna’s comment about ensuring that hatred of Indians was not normalized seemed to strike a nerve with Vance, who dismissed it as “emotional blackmail” and told Khanna to “grow up.” He accused Khanna of overreacting to “racist trolls” and argued that a culture of zero tolerance for past mistakes was more damaging.

Khanna, however, was surprised by Vance’s reaction. “I had previously praised Vance’s wife, Usha, an Indian American, for her achievements,” he explained to me. “I’ve known Usha for years. I’ve known the vice president. This isn’t about personal attacks. It’s about whether someone who has expressed such extreme views should be allowed to represent the United States government without even addressing them.”

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The California lawmaker has long been a strong supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, particularly as they relate to the trans community.

“As a party, we cannot abandon the trans community,” he said. “These attempts to erase and erode the rights of transgender individuals is both immoral and illegal. I firmly believe that the American people do not tolerate cruelty and that these attempts by Trump will ultimately fail. That said, our community has to make sure that we provide a full-throated defense of trans rights.”

Khanna also discussed how the Democratic Party needs to be pushed to take a stronger, more strategic approach to opposing Trump. Khana laid out what he calls a “three-part plan” that he believes all Democrats should follow.

“We need to refuse to give Republicans the votes they need to raise the debt ceiling,” Khanna explained. “If we hold firm and refuse, Trump will fold, and that’s because he cares about the markets and the economy.”

Next, Khanna said Democrats need to defend the role of government. “For 50 years, Republicans have hammered the idea that government is bad. We need to stand up and say. ‘Government is good!’ Federal workers help people. They provide services Americans rely on. We can’t let the other side define the narrative anymore.”