Donald Trump and Women Voters
As the 2024 presidential election sweeps him along, former President Donald Trump is simply being himself: attacking everyone in sight and doing his best to dissuade all but a core of uneducated white dudes from supporting his candidacy. Trump had a disastrous town hall aimed at women voters on Fox News in Cumming, Ga., late last week. Though he has tried to reach out with subjects like reproductive rights, his word choice crosses into risky waters too often for the critics who watch and worry over the comments.
The Town Hall Strategy for Winning Women’s Votes
The event, which was billed as a chance for women to pose questions directly to Trump on subjects that are important them. The event, which was to have been hosted by Fox’s Harris Faulkner and moderated with questions focused on some of the biggest issues — such as reproductive rights, the economy and health care But that changed swiftly after Trump was asked a question about in vitro fertilization (IVF) and made the bizarre pronouncement, “I’m like the father of IVF.
Critics immediately called this statement out as false, because in-vitro fertilizaton has been a successful technology since 1978—long before Trump got into politics. In addition, is comment on a call from Alabama Senator Katie Britt — “Young. Rather than doing Trump any good with female voters, the town hall only reinforced his long track record of making inappropriate comments about women.
Misogyny or Flattery?
Trump was criticized harshly for his comments about Senator Britt, especially because he targeted yet another woman’s body. Britt did not respond to Trump’s comments in the New York Times piece about her looks, but she took a moment to thank him for his “Booming IVF business. Trump is known for offering opinions on women’s looks — be it relevant or not. Trump has made waves with his comments about women before, from debates to press conferences where he often will pat female journalists on the head as though they were kids rather than serious professionals trying to do a job — and this latest episode only furthered fears of many that Trump is flat-out incabable of relating respectfully or seriously in any way with woman voters.
The reaction on social media was immediate. “Nothing like some good misogyny on full display,” commented one user of the platform formerly known as Twitter, X. One person wrote: ‘Disgusted at the way he speaks about women’ and said it was perpetuating that our worth as a female is based on what we look like. The critique underlines a wider issue: Trump’s comments sound archaic in discussions about gender equality and women’s rights nowadays.| Donald Trump and Women Voters
Reproductive Rights – Trump’s Views on IVF and Abortion
Sen. Britt is a doctor, but Trump’s comments on him were not the main point of interest at this town hall where reproductive rights — specifically how abortion restrictions could affect IVF treatments— took center stage. Trump certainly staked out a pro-IVF stance; he also made the bizarre boast to Haney and witnesses that “I’m not saying I was, but you know there are articles where if Obama‘s related then maybe… hey give me some credit! He told an anecdote about Britt’s worry over a judge in Alabama who stopped IVF clinics — “I want you to know that I stand for being able to do IVF,” he said.
But reproductive rights advocates were unmoved by this assurance. Democrats have already raised concerns about how anti-abortion laws would intersect with fertility treatments, following the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade earlier this year. In Alabama, embryos are treated just like little babies under the law and IVF may suddenly become a thing of yore. Trump’s assertions of “total support” for IVF rang hollow in light that three out four justices who would overturn Roe were put there by Trump himself.
Vice President Kamala Harris immediately went after Trump for his IVF comments, calling the remarks “weird. She called attention to the contradictions in Trump’s stance, saying that while he says is pro-IVF, many women currently living in “Trump abortion ban states.” She also warned that curtailing abortion rights might expand to other prohibitions, namely on fertility treatmentssuch as IVF. | Donald Trump and Women Voters
The Wider Political Repercussions
That a single comment about pro-lifers would cause him so much trouble is telling: Trump’s mishandling of reproductive rights, especially on IVF and abortion, shows the broader challenges for the GOP as it negotiates its path post-*Roe*. Although many who vote conservative do so with the restriction of abortion in mind, there is a growing sense that these laws may affect other reproductive health matters — such as IVF. For women voters, the stakes are even higher: a large number of them see reproductive freedom as an issue that should be non-negotiable.
But at the same time Trump has tried to cast himself as a guardian of family values. Karoline Leavitt, his campaign’s national press secretary, noted during the segment that she is a woman and took issue with some of Trump’s treatment of women but praised policies he supports such as access to childcare benefits and paid family leave. During his first term, Trump’s economic policies put more money in women’s pockets and made their lives better — so says Leavitt. She also cited Trump’s support for IVF access as showing that he is pro-family.
But even those arguments failed to win over all voters. Trump’s rhetoric has done little to persuade most women, who doubt his sincerity, especially when taking into account Trumps long history of making demeaning remarks towards women both on and off record as well as the fact he appointed justices that over turned Roe. Trump’s performance/pragmatism/judgment/partisanship might be up for debate as to whether it will withstand the scrutiny of history but they fit in well with a number of Republican bases’ values some voters clearly saw Trump deliver on issues that resonate deeply and broadly among conservatives – changing who sits behind the bench, defunding or drowning government policy creations given subserviance towards your side from big banks top priorities regardless if Russeia owns puppet strings same prevarication we’ve long seen, different question: is he trustworthy?
Fails to Win Over Women Voters
This was a persistent problem in Trump’s political career — he never connected with women voters — and it remains one still worse for him. They accounted for huge results in Trump’s loss to joe biden because women, suburban women and ladies of color trounced him all across the 2020 election map it is difficult otherwise impossible t… Meanwhile his recent town hall was not an improvement, as he continued to be shallow and bogus in regard to looks while also inexplicably bloviating about IVF instead of answering questions on reproductive rights or healthcare.
And Trump’s rhetoric has led women who think that the way he talks is disgusting and very anachronistic to see him in a disastrous light as well. As he provokes further support from some women — mostly in conservative circles — Trump faces mounting criticism among other female voters who feel frustrated and overwhelmed by his failure to take their concerns seriously. This disconnect is borne out by the backlash to his comments about Senator Britt — he may consider himself lauddatory of women, but many find his words condescending and inappropriate. |Donald Trump and Women Voters
Conclusion: Trump Has a Long Way to Go
Trump will continue to be dogged by his womens problem as he runs for President. In the town hall, this made for much of both his good and bad — connecting with conservative voters on everything from reproductive rights to displaying those foot-in-mouth tendencies that drive women nuts when he starts riffing on appearance or engaging inl ittle gender role commentary. | Donald Trump and Women Voters
If Trump is to win over the critical voting bloc of women, he will need some months fine-tuning what specifically his message should do. Even when his policies may find favor among sections of the public, it is Trump’s words that tend to stir controversy and provoke backlash. If ever there was an election where every vote would matter, Trump’s treatment of women could be the difference that decides his political fate. | Donald Trump and Women Voters
