Views expressed in opinion columns are the author’s own.
Content warning: This column contains mentions of sexual assault.
In 2016, a now-infamous recording was released between former United States President Donald Trump and radio host Billy Bush on a Days of Our Lives set in 2005. In the recording, Trump said, “Grab ‘em by the pussy. You can do anything,” getting off a bus before he met with actress Arianne Zucker. He’s been convicted of 34 felonies, found liable for sexual abuse and his company was found guilty of a criminal tax fraud scheme. We know what he stands for.
How much worse could women’s rights get if Trump is elected? The overturn of Roe v. Wade after Trump stacked the Supreme Court with anti-abortion extremists risks the rights of women and girls in the United States with every case the court hears. A second Trump presidency is a threat to women everywhere.
Implications from the election for women extend beyond the country’s borders. U.S. reproductive health has already experienced a decline, and who is elected holds implications for how the U.S. engages with health assistance abroad.
Given these risks, it is paramount that we unite to support Kamala Harris, the best candidate for women’s policy issues.
Trump has proven time and time again that he does not care about what women want, only what he thinks is in their best interests. Trump said on Oct. 30 that he would “protect women, whether they like it or not.”
Harris has made reproductive freedom a key component of her campaign, and argued for abortion and child care policy protections as part of her plan for the economy.
Reproductive freedoms include access to affordable health care. On Oct. 21, Harris proposed expanding coverage for over-the-counter contraception without a prescription. This would mark the first time contraception can be obtained for free without a prescription and would set a new norm of who can control women’s reproductive rights and choices.
Child care costs in the U.S. are unrealistic. Harris’ campaign plan focuses on making child care affordable so parents can pursue higher education, as well as pushing Americans towards the middle class — which is often impossible if you have children.
During both the 2016 and 2020 elections, a majority of white women voted for Trump, leading a man to the presidency who routinely said sexist phrases such as “It must be a pretty picture, you dropping to your knees” and “You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her wherever.”
The question of who cares more about women is not up for debate.
Forty-nine percent of voters expect Harris’ policies to make things better for women, while 46 percent believe Trump’s policies would make things worse. Harris is markedly better on issues such as reproductive freedom and child care center costs, and over the long run, positive impacts created by these initiatives will support women in the workforce.
The lack of support for Trump is likely driven by his behavior, statements and the reality that he stacked the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. It’s who he is. His behavior has continually reflected narcissistic characteristics that show American women do not matter, just Trump.
Voters perceived Trump to make things worse for not only women, but also union members, the poor and African American and Hispanic people, while the inverse applied to Harris. Harris’ policies demonstrate a stark shift from past presidents in focusing on minorities, which the American public sees.
Regardless of gender, race or sexuality, Kamala needs our support. To do anything else will risk the rights of women and girls in the country, further alienating women from reproductive freedom. Just imagine if Trump threatened to ban vasectomies!
The United States cannot afford to further subjugate women’s bodies to the law of men. I am not angry; I am livid. I am not broken, I am resolved. Trump is a risk to the equality of women and all minorities. Silence is oppression, and I will not be silent.
Autumn Perkey is a government and politics doctoral student. She can be reached at perkey@umd.edu.
