Shortly before the US presidential election, Republican Donald Trump tried to win over female voters but sparked outrage with comments he made at a campaign event.
Donald Trump is far less popular among women than his rival Kamala Harris, surveys show.Image: trapezoid
During an appearance in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Trump said his advisers told him not to say he wanted to protect women — that it was “inappropriate.” Trump continued: “I want to protect the women of our country. Well, that's what I'm going to do, whether women like it or not, I'm going to protect them.” Investigations show that the 78-year-old is in trouble with Democrats Women fared significantly worse than men in Marla Harris's campaign.
Wisconsin's comments are evocative, especially given the various sexual assault accusations Trump faces. A New York jury found in a civil case last year that Trump assaulted, sexually abused and subsequently defamed American writer E. Jean Carroll at a luxury New York department store in 1996. During the 2016 presidential campaign, a video of Trump making vulgar comments about women (“grabbing them by the pussy”) made headlines.
The statement “insults everyone”
Trump's campaign reacted evasively to criticism of Trump's statement in Wisconsin, The New York Times reported. “Women deserve a president who will protect our nation's borders, drive violent criminals out of our communities, and build an economy that helps our families thrive,” it said in a statement.
US Vice President Harris directly attacked Trump's remarks. “I think it's very insulting to women,” she said. This statement disrespects women’s agency, authority, rights and ability to make decisions about their own lives, including their own bodies. The 60-year-old later added that Trump's comments were “insulting to everyone.” Trump and his supporters repeatedly used sexist epithets to insult Harris during the campaign. When the vote comes next Tuesday (November 5), it will be a close race.
'Machoness' makes women uncomfortable
Criticism of Republican rhetoric also comes from within his own ranks. Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has repeatedly criticized sexist comments during her campaign in the past. Most recently, she expressed concerns about Trump's campaign rally at New York's Madison Square Garden over the weekend. Racist and sexist insults were commonplace at the event, which featured a variety of speakers. “This macho thing” makes women uncomfortable, Hayley said. The majority of voters are women. “Women vote. They're interested in how people talk to them (…),” said Trump's former opponent in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
Trump isn't the only one to draw attention for his sexism during the campaign. His running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, was also criticized for his misogynistic comments about childless women shortly after winning the nomination this summer. In a 2021 interview, the father of three described leading Democratic politicians as “childless cat ladies.” Vance later complained that he had been misunderstood. But that's not his only statement in this direction. (Sudan Development Authority/Department of Political Affairs/Lynn)
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With Thinking Fast, Thinking Slow, psychologist Daniel Kahneman wrote one of the most influential nonfiction books of our time. At the beginning, he asked such questions: A man has a gentle personality, loves to be clean, likes to read, but does not like sports activities. What kind of job does he probably do? Is he a librarian or a farmer? Librarian, is the spontaneous answer of “quick thinking”. Wait a minute, use Slow Thinking, point out that there are 20 times more farmers than librarians, and conclude that therefore the odds are in the farmers' favor.
