Donald Trump is facing challenges with women voters and is now working hard to win their support. In a town hall event aired on Fox News, Trump answered questions from an all-women audience and a female moderator, Harris Faulkner, in Georgia, a crucial battleground state.
The BBC reports that Trump praised a female senator for being “attractive,” called himself the “father of IVF,” and faced tough questions about his stance on abortion.
During the event, Trump spoke about familiar topics like immigration, the economy, and inflation. He promised to expand fossil-fuel drilling to lower energy costs and supported child tax credits to help parents with the high costs of raising children.
However, when asked about fertility treatments, Trump claimed to be the “father of IVF,” which his campaign later said was a joke. He also mentioned that the Republican Party supports in vitro fertilization (IVF), but this issue shows his weakness with female voters.
Democrats, including Kamala Harris, have criticized Trump for appointing Supreme Court justices who helped end national abortion rights, opening up possible challenges to IVF. Harris called Trump’s comments “bizarre,” as reported by the BBC.
Trump has struggled to win over women voters since his first presidential run in 2016, but exit polls in 2020 suggested he did well with white women.
According to the BBC, recent polls show Trump still trailing behind Kamala Harris with women voters in the 2024 election.
A New York Times poll showed that 56% of likely women voters support Harris, while only 40% back Trump. Among Black women, 83% support Harris, and only 12% favor Trump.
The gender gap is especially important in Georgia, where polling shows the race is very close. Harris leads Trump by 10 points with women voters in the state.
Trump seems to recognize his need to improve with women voters, saying at rallies that women will like him.
He is trying to appeal to women by focusing on issues like immigration, crime, and the economy, which the BBC notes are areas where Trump typically performs well with voters.
Some Trump supporters, like Kim Pelletier from Pennsylvania, believe he will do more for women than has been done in the past few years.
Another supporter, Susanne Green, agrees with Trump’s policies on immigration but warns that his harshness and rude behavior, like mean tweets, might turn women off.
She told the BBC that focusing on his policies, rather than his attitude, could help him win over more women voters.
In summary, while Trump is making efforts to win over women voters, many remain skeptical, especially after some of his comments during the town hall.
As the BBC reports, polls still show Harris leading with women voters, making this an important issue for Trump’s campaign.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce3zrvyx7zpo