Trump Vows to 'Protect' All Women Whether They 'Like It or Not'— Even As He Struggles With Female Voters

At a rally in Green Bay Wisconsin former President Donald Trump got people talking when he boldly declared that he would protect women "whether the women like it or not." The statement showed how much the gender gap is widening in the upcoming 2024 presidential race, and his comments also didn’t sit well with Vice President Kamala Harris and her campaign.

During the rally, Trump revealed that his own advisers had cautioned him against describing himself as a 'protector' of women, deeming it inappropriate. "They said, 'Sir, I just think it's inappropriate for you to say.' I pay these guys a lot of money; can you believe it?" Trump told the crowd. He maintained his position in spite of this advice, saying, "I'm going to do it whether the women like it or not. I'm going to protect them."

Harris quickly addressed Trump's comments, describing them as "very offensive to women in terms of not understanding their agency, their authority, their right and their ability to make decisions about their own lives, including their own bodies." Her campaign spokesperson, Sarafina Chitika, added that Trump 'thinks he knows better than the women of America,' as per MSNBC.

At a time when polls show Trump lagging behind Harris, particularly among female voters, his new remarks are causing a stir. According to a CBS News poll, Harris leads women by 10 points, indicating that the gender gap is widening. It's interesting to note that 56% of female voters believe Trump's campaign is not giving enough attention to problems that are important to them, while 40% believe it is too focused on what men want. Consequently, former Republican Representative Liz Cheney weighed in on the situation, encouraging women to 'vote your conscience' in the 2024 presidential election, even if it differs from the opinions of men in their lives. "You should do what you think is right," Cheney emphasized.

Moreover, Trump's comments have particularly resonated with women against the backdrop of reproductive rights debates. Having appointed three conservative justices to the Supreme Court who subsequently overturned Roe v. Wade, Trump frequently takes credit for this landmark shift in abortion rights. But Trump's campaign has been trying to ease his tough stance on abortion. Recently, he promised that he would veto a national abortion ban.

Many of his critics also pointed out that while the former president's stance was an attempt to show himself as a 'protector' of women, the reality was that things just weren't that simple. His past is filled with controversial comments about women, and there are many allegations of sexual misconduct (that he denies). Last year, a jury in New York decided he was guilty of sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll in 1996, as per AP News.

On the other hand, Trump's campaign has tried to redirect the narrative, with spokesperson Karoline Leavitt arguing that "Harris may be the first woman Vice President but she has implemented dangerously liberal policies that have left women worse off financially and far less safe than we were four years ago under President Trump," as per The Guardian. This notion was emphasized by former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, who challenged Trump in the primaries: "Fifty-three percent of the electorate are women. Women will vote. They care about how they're being talked to and they care about the issues."