Trump's Quest to Win Back Women Falters as GOP Faces Growing Backlash

Strategic Insights -

Two years after women powered the Democrats' 2018 push to flip the House of Representatives, President Donald Trump and some members of his Republican Party have not learned their lesson and still cannot seem to show that they will treat women as equals and respect the dignity of their work both at home and in the professional realm. Despite efforts to appeal to female voters, Trump's tone-deaf language and attempts to use demeaning language to describe women have only alienated them further. The recent Washington Post-ABC News poll shows Trump trailing Vice President Joe Biden by 25 points among women, with Biden leading 60% to 35%. The President's failure to understand how to talk to women, much less about them, has been a persistent issue throughout his presidency.

Key Takeaways:

  • Trump's use of demeaning language to describe women, including a tweet about "The Suburban Housewives of America," has been a major turnoff for female voters, leading to a 25-point deficit in a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll.
  • Despite efforts to appeal to female voters, Trump has not learned from past mistakes, including stoking a backlash to the #MeToo movement and using insultingly gendered language to describe women.
  • The President's efforts to roll out initiatives aimed at increasing support among female voters, such as "Operation Legend" and a push to reopen schools, have been undercut by his own inconsistent and sometimes false messaging.
  • Women are more concerned about the coronavirus pandemic than the economy, and trust Biden more than Trump to handle the pandemic, leading to a solid lead in the polls for Biden.
  • The President's failure to understand how to talk to women, much less about them, has been a persistent issue throughout his presidency, with recent incidents including a verbal attack on Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez by Florida GOP Rep. Ted Yoho.
  • The demographics of female support for Trump are discouraging, with only 4% of Black women and 25% of Latinas supporting him in the 2016 election.
  • Despite his efforts to appeal to women, Trump remains a highly divisive figure, with a lengthy history of sexism and a long record of using demeaning language to describe women.

Statistics:

  • Trump is trailing Biden by 25 points among women in the recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, with Biden leading 60% to 35%.
  • White women are split, with 50% backing Biden and 46% supporting Trump in the same poll.
  • Democrats have never won a majority of White women in a national presidential exit poll, with the best result being 48% to 43% in 1996.
  • 4% of Black women voted for Trump in the 2016 election, and only 25% of Latinas supported him.
  • The number of coronavirus cases in the US has surpassed 4.1 million, and more than 146,000 Americans have died.
  • Voters trust Biden more than Trump to handle the pandemic, leading to a solid lead in the polls for Biden.

Sources:

  • CNN, "The GOP's quest to win back women is not looking promising"
  • Washington Post-ABC News poll, cited in the article
  • CNN's Jennifer Agiesta, cited in the article
  • Quinnipiac poll, cited in the article
  • New York Post, "Betsy McCaughey: Joe Biden will destroy your neighborhood and your American Dream"
  • The Hill, "Florida Rep. Ted Yoho called Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez 'f**king' a 'dirtbag' with no remorse"