In the final week of the 2024 US election, both the Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump, and the Democratic candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris, are engaging in a final showdown to win over female voters.
According to a report by The Hill on Wednesday, Trump reiterated in Wisconsin on Wednesday night that if he wins the election, he will protect women, regardless of whether they like it or not. This statement echoed similar remarks he made two months ago, as he emphasized the need to safeguard women from immigration and external threats.
“I’m going to do it whether they like it or not. I want to protect them. I want to protect them from immigrants. I want to protect them from those who want to use missiles and many other things against us,” Trump stated.
Harris’s aides quickly seized on Trump’s words, arguing that his comments displayed a lack of regard for women voters.
James Singer, a spokesperson for Harris’s campaign, posted on social media platform X, stating: “The definition of this event? Trump: ‘I will do it whether women like it or not.'”
Harris criticized whether Trump would truly be a “protector” of women, linking this to issues of women’s reproductive rights.
On Thursday, Harris told reporters, “I think it’s actually very offensive to women because they understand their institutions, authority, rights, and their ability to make decisions for their lives, including their bodies.”
She added, “Whether he is punishing women for their choices as he said, regardless of whether he is talking about his pride stripping women of a fundamental right, regardless of how he effectively leaves one in every three women living in states where abortion is banned by Trump.”
As the election day approaches, Trump is striving to narrow the gap with Harris among female supporters.
During a rally at the end of September, Trump directly addressed women in the crowd, stating, “I am your protector. I want to be your protector. As President, I must be your protector. I hope you don’t mind. I hope the fake news won’t say, ‘Oh, he wants to be their protector. As President, I must be your protector’.”
Women’s bodily autonomy and abortion rights are key issues in the US presidential election. Harris has made reproductive rights a core focus of her campaign. She has attributed the Supreme Court’s end to the “Roe v. Wade” ruling and subsequent restrictive abortion laws passed in various states to Trump, gaining support from many women voters.
However, compared to economic and immigration issues, voters in key swing states are showing a division in their support between the presidential candidates and abortion rights.
According to a Fox News poll, while 75% of voters in Nevada, a swing state, support a state constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights, a higher percentage of these voters are still choosing Trump over Harris.
A similar split is seen in Arizona, another swing state, where a New York Times/Siena College poll shows 58% of voters support a state constitutional amendment for legal abortion, but 50% of respondents are voting for Trump, with only 45% voting for Harris.
Mike Noble, an expert conducting polls in the Southwest US, pointed out on NBC that voters in Arizona and Nevada support abortion rights but will let critical issues like the economy and immigration determine their vote, opting for presidential and Senate candidates who do not support abortion rights. “Because other things become more important, abortion rights are a major issue, but cannot surpass the ability to afford three meals or whether housing is affordable for these families,” he stated.