Donald Trump promises to protect women “whether they like it or not” | US elections 2024

Donald Trump continued his frequent habit of calling himself the “protector” of women in Wisconsin on Wednesday night when he declared he would protect them “whether women like it or not” if he serves a second term in office White House wins.

“I said, 'Well, I'm going to do it whether the women like it or not,'” Trump said. “I will protect her.”

The rhetorical addition was seized upon by the Harris campaign as an issue of reproductive rights and broader concerns about gender roles and autonomy under a potential Trump administration.

“Donald Trump believes he should be able to decide what to do with his body,” Vice President Kamala Harris said in a social media post. “Whether you like it or not.”

Sarafina Chitika, a Harris campaign spokeswoman, added that Trump “thinks he knows better than the women of America.” Another speaker called the comment the defining line of the Trump campaign.

Dozens of allegations of sexual misconduct have been made against the Republican candidate over the years, including a new allegation last week. Trump denies them all. Last year, a judge ruled that a rape allegation against Trump was essentially true.

Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt responded: “Harris may be the first female vice president, but she has implemented dangerously liberal policies that have left women worse off financially and far less secure than they were four years ago President Trump.”

Trump made the comments in Wisconsin, where he arrived at a rally in a white garbage truck disguised as a sanitation worker, in a stunt aimed at drawing attention to comments by Joe Biden that Republicans have interpreted as as if they were calling Trump supporters “trash.” Biden has clarified that he was speaking about comments made by a podcaster who made a series of obviously racist jokes, including about blacks, Latinos and Jews, at a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

Trump told the rally crowd on Wednesday that his advisers had advised him against calling himself a “protector” of women.

“They said, 'Sir, I just find it inappropriate for you to say that.' I pay these people a lot of money; “Can you believe it?” Trump said.

“I said, 'Well, I'm going to do it whether the women like it or not. I will protect her. I will protect them from incoming migrants. I will protect them from foreign countries that want to hit us with missiles and many other things.'”

Trump began referring to himself as the “protector of women” at a rally in September when he said, “I am your protector.” I want to be your protector. As president, I must be your protector. I hope you don't make too much of it. I hope the fake news isn't, “Oh, he wants to be her protector.” Well, I am. As president, I must be your protector.”

Polls show Trump trailing Harris among female voters while leading among men.

Harris made reproductive rights a focus of her campaign after Trump appointed three conservative justices to the Supreme Court who promptly struck down abortion rights, a fact Trump often acknowledges.