Donald Trump is trying a new approach to winning over women voters by telling them that they are depressed, poor, anxious, unsafe and thinking about abortion ― but as their “protector,” he will change all that.
“I always thought women liked me,” Trump said at a rally in Pennsylvania on Monday. “I never thought I had a problem, but the fake news keeps saying women don’t like me. I don’t believe it.”
Polls show Vice President Kamala Harris currently leading by anywhere from 13 to 21 percentage points among women.
Trump read an extended version of an all-caps rant he posted last week on his Truth Social website as he insisted that women are in dire need of his protection.
“Because I am your protector,” Trump said. “I want to be your protector. As president, I have to be your protector, I hope you don’t make too much of it. I hope the fake news doesn’t go ‘oh he wants to be their protector.’ Well I am. As president, I have to be your protector.”
He added:
“You will no longer be abandoned, lonely or scared. You will no longer be in danger, you’re not gonna be in danger any longer. You will no longer have anxiety from all of the problems our country has today. You will be protected and I will be your protector. Women will be happy, healthy, confident and free. You will no longer be thinking about abortion.”
Trump has a long history of misogynistic rhetoric, from his infamous “grab them by the pussy” claim to his sexist attacks on Harris. He has also been accused of sexual misconduct, and last year a jury found him liable for sexual abuse against writer E. Jean Carroll.
Given that background, many found his comments on Monday to be insincere and downright creepy: