The battle for women voters is heating up, and Republican candidate Donald Trump is struggling to close the gap in the polls. Recent comments and developments in his campaign are causing further setbacks.
Trump Touts RFK Jr. as Future Women’s Health Advocate
During a rally in Henderson, Nevada, Trump promised that if elected, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime promoter of anti-vaccine theories, would “work on” women’s health issues in a potential Trump administration.
Despite Kennedy’s lack of medical credentials and his fable for conspiracy theories especially regarding vaccines, Trump hinted that he would give Kennedy a prominent role in health policy, including women’s health, stating, “We’re not really a wealthy or a healthy country.”
Harris Fires Back, Calling Trump’s Comments “Offensive”
In an additional controversy, Trump insisted at a Green Bay rally on earlier commitment to protect American women, stating, “I’m going to protect them from migrants coming in, from foreign countries that want to hit us with missiles—and lots of other things.”
He acknowledged his advisers had cautioned him, calling his remarks “inappropriate,” but maintained, “I want to protect the women of our country.”
Vice President Kamala Harris was seizing on the controversy and especially the aspect of Trump’s comments, as he wanted to protect women “whether they like it or not”.
“It’s very offensive to women,” Harris said in Wisconsin. “It disregards their agency, their right, and their ability to make decisions about their own lives, including their own bodies.” She later added that Trump’s comments were “offensive to everybody.”
The context though was that Trump wanted to protect women from harm potentially caused by illegal migration.
Harris’s Campaign Faces Backlash Over Mark Cuban’s Comments
Meanwhile, the Trump campaign is demanding that Harris condemn remarks by her surrogate, billionaire Mark Cuban. During an appearance on The View, Cuban suggested that Trump avoids “strong, intelligent women” because they “intimidate” him.
Trump’s campaign fired back, with national press secretary Karoline Leavitt stating, “Joe Biden called Trump supporters ‘garbage,’ and now Kamala’s top surrogate, Mark Cuban, insinuates female Trump supporters are ‘weak and dumb.’”
The heated exchanges underscore the stakes of the battle for women voters as both campaigns spar over controversial statements and endorsements.
