Which campaign is more insulting to women?

Much has been made of the “gender gap” this election season as Vice President Kamala Harris outperforms former president Donald Trump with women, while Trump outperforms Kamala with men. Until now, both have leaned into their respective advantages, with Kamala doubling down on abortion messaging and Trump doing the so-called “bro podcast” tour. However, in recent weeks, both candidates have sought to diminish the gender gap on the other side. Harris started a “Hunters and Anglers for Harris-Walz” coalition, which ended with Walz awkwardly failing to load a shotgun, and made appeals to gamers, with Walz tying a game of Madden 0-0 and praising Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s ability to “run a pick 6.” Trump did a Fox News town hall for exclusively women voters and promised to “protect” women at a recent rally, adding somewhat ominously that he would keep them safe “whether they like it or not.”

The Harris campaign seized on the comments, suggesting they were representative of Trump’s history of being accused of sexual harassment and assault and reminding women that Trump helped overturn Roe v. Wade. Harris said Trump “thinks he should get to make decisions about what you do with your body.”

The Harris camp has been making their own unforced errors when it comes to disrespecting women voters. Friends of the campaign ran a creepy ad featuring a voiceover of Julia Roberts encouraging women lie to their husbands about whom they are voting for, noting that the ballot box is a secret. “You can vote any way you want, and no one will ever know,” Roberts said.

As a married woman I cannot imagine not feeling comfortable telling my husband how I am voting. In fact, we filled out our ballots together; mostly to talk over the local referendums and whether we want to let our county take out more debt for various projects (we do not). Of course, the intent of the ad is to suggest that Republican men are domineering, perhaps even abusive, and would mistreat their wives if they found out they were voting for Kamala. It’s a wildly offensive caricature of masculine men and otherwise belittles women by suggesting they aren’t strong enough to have different political opinions from their spouse. Plus, the idea that these things would be secret before getting married is a farce. Only a Hollywood actress could have such a shallow view of marriage.

Billionaire Mark Cuban followed up on the nastiness with comments he made during a recent podcast. Cuban said in response to reports that former UN ambassador Nikki Haley wasn’t invited on the campaign trail, “Donald Trump, you never see him around strong, intelligent women. Ever. It’s just that simple. They’re intimidating to him. He doesn’t like to be challenged by them.” Cuban meant it as an insult to Trump, but in the process he demeaned all of the smart, successful women who support Trump and who have worked in his administration. A group of such women released statements on behalf of the campaign smacking Cuban for his thoughtless remark, including campaign co-manager Susie Wiles, Lara Trump, former White House press secretary Governor Sarah Sanders, former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, former White House counsel May Mailman and former ESPN anchor Sage Steele. Cuban attempted to sanitize his remarks, tweeting that he was merely talking about women who “challenge” Trump “publicly.” Former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard would like a word.

Vice President Kamala Harris had her own Freudian slip during a campaign rally, telling the crowd, “I have fought for many who have harmed other human beings.” She meant to say that she had fought for those who have been harmed as part of her shtick painting herself as a tough-on-crime prosecutor, but instead reminded everyone that she donated to a bail fund to let out violent criminals and presided over a wide-open southern border that let in murderers and rapists. 

Never mind President Joe Biden referring to Trump’s supporters as “garbage,” forcing the White House to try to add a magic apostrophe to his statement.

Trump might not sanitize or soften his language in an explicit appeal to female voters, but he does not insult them. When leftists speak too openly, they reveal that their support for women only goes as far as favoring abortion without restrictions. Women who don’t agree with them politically are viewed as disposable and not worthy of their attention or respect. It raises the important question: which campaign is really anti-women?