Donald Trump says he will be the B次元官网网址減rotectorB次元官网网址� of women, whether they like it or not.

HeB次元官网网址檚 campaigned with men who use sexist and crude language. HeB次元官网网址檚 expressed alarm at the idea that wives might vote differently from their husbands.

And the former Republican president has suggested that Democrat Kamala Harris, who is trying to become the first woman to win the White House, would get B次元官网网址渙verwhelmedB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渕elt downB次元官网网址� facing male authoritarian leaders he considers tough.

In the final days of his campaign, Trump has stuck to a gendered worldview that his critics consider dated and paternalistic, even as he acknowledges that some of that language has gotten him B次元官网网址渋nto so much troubleB次元官网网址� with a crucial group of voters.

Trump and some of his most prominent allies have peddled outright sexism.

Former Fox B次元官网网址 host Tucker Carlson, at an event with the Republican presidential nominee, likened Trump to an angry father providing tough love to a B次元官网网址渂ad little girlB次元官网网址� who, as Carlson put it, was B次元官网网址渋n need of a vigorous spanking.B次元官网网址�

Charlie Kirk, founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point, which is playing a key role in the campaignB次元官网网址檚 get-out-the-vote operation, has said that any man who votes against Trump is B次元官网网址渘ot a man.B次元官网网址� Kirk also has said wives who covertly vote for Harris B次元官网网址渦ndermine their husbandsB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� describing a man B次元官网网址渨ho probably works his tail off to make sure that she can go and have a nice life and provide to the family.B次元官网网址�

On Saturday night, Trump laughed along with a crude joke about Harris, nearly a week after a speaker at his Madison Square Garden rally suggested the vice president was like a prostitute controlled by B次元官网网址減imp handlers.B次元官网网址� As Trump repeated his claim, made without evidence, that Harris lied about working at McDonalds in her youth, someone in the crowd yelled, B次元官网网址淪he worked on the corner.B次元官网网址�

Trump laughed, looked around and pointed toward a section of the crowd.

B次元官网网址淭his place is amazing,B次元官网网址� he said to cheers. B次元官网网址淛ust remember, itB次元官网网址檚 other people saying it. ItB次元官网网址檚 not me.B次元官网网址�

Trump has faced a persistent gender gap since Harris entered the race in July. Women are far more likely to say theyB次元官网网址檙e supporting Harris than Trump B次元官网网址� by a double-digit margin in some surveys.

That could be enough to prove decisive in what both sides expect to be an extremely close race that ends Tuesday.

Women generally vote at higher rates than men. In 2020, they made up 53% of the electorate, according to AP VoteCast. Among the nearly 67.2 million Americans who have already voted, about 53% are women, versus 44% men, according to TargetSmart, a political data firm.

B次元官网网址淭his is not a time for them to get overly masculine with this bromance thing that theyB次元官网网址檝e got going,B次元官网网址� said Nikki Haley, who competed with Trump for the GOP nomination this year, in a recent Fox B次元官网网址 interview. B次元官网网址淲omen will vote. They care about how theyB次元官网网址檙e being talked to. And they care about the issues.B次元官网网址�

Trump has not campaigned with Haley, who was U.N. ambassador during his administration, despite her offers to appear with him.

Trump has been aggressively courting men. TrumpB次元官网网址檚 team has spent months trying to reach younger men, in particular, with a series of interviews on popular male-centric podcasts and appearances at football games and mixed martial arts fights. His campaign has been dominated by machismo, evident for example when former pro wrestler Hulk Hogan ripped off his shirt as he took the stage at the Republican National Convention and later at the Madison Square Garden rally.

The song B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 A ManB次元官网网址檚 ManB次元官网网址檚 ManB次元官网网址檚 WorldB次元官网网址� often plays at TrumpB次元官网网址檚 events.

Trump was always expected to face challenges with women this year after nominating three of the Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, ending the constitutionally guaranteed right to abortion and ushering in a wave of restrictions across Republican-led states.

But his efforts to win women back have often landed flat.

Speaking Saturday in Gastonia, North Carolina, at his first of nearly a dozen rallies during the raceB次元官网网址檚 final weekend, Trump acknowledged the blowback he has received for saying that, as president, he would B次元官网网址減rotectB次元官网网址� women. He continued, nonetheless, to repeat the line as he insisted women love him and that he was right.

B次元官网网址淚 believe that women have to be protected. Men have to be, children, everybody. But women have to be protected where theyB次元官网网址檙e at home in suburbia,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲hen youB次元官网网址檙e home in your house alone and you have this monster that got out of prison and heB次元官网网址檚 got, you know, six charges of murdering six different people, I think youB次元官网网址檇 rather have Trump.B次元官网网址�

TrumpB次元官网网址檚 campaign believes his focus on crime and illegal immigration will help him win over B次元官网网址渟ecurity moms.B次元官网网址� At his rallies, he has featured the stories of mothers whose children were killed by people in the country who are in the United States illegally. That includes Alexis Nungaray, whose 12-year-old daughter, Jocelyn, was killed by two suspected Venezuelan gang members.

The campaign also believes that TrumpB次元官网网址檚 frequent denunciation of transgender rights holds sway.

In Salem, Virginia, on Saturday, Trump brought to the stage female athletes from Roanoke College, where a transgender woman had asked and then withdrew her request to join the womenB次元官网网址檚 swimming team.

In a statement, Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt defended TrumpB次元官网网址檚 approach. B次元官网网址淲omen deserve a President who will secure our nationB次元官网网址檚 borders, remove violent criminals from our neighborhoods, and build an economy that helps our families thrive B次元官网网址� and thatB次元官网网址檚 exactly what President Trump will do,B次元官网网址� she said.

Several attendees at his rallies said they welcome TrumpB次元官网网址檚 promise to be a B次元官网网址減rotector.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 want protection. I mean, we all do, right? We donB次元官网网址檛 want to feel like weB次元官网网址檙e not protected,B次元官网网址� said Kim Saunders, 52, a small-business owner who lives in Williamsburg, Virginia. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 that scary feeling. So for me, it makes me feel really good to have someone protect me and a man protect me.B次元官网网址�

She said she could not understand why women would support Harris, but thinks men are drawn to Trump because B次元官网网址渉e is that alpha male. And for me, I love the alpha male. I grew up with a dad that was an alpha male.B次元官网网址�

Donna Sheets, 51, a caregiver and self-described B次元官网网址渄ie-hard Trump supporterB次元官网网址� who lives in Christiansburg, Virginia, blamed the debate around abortion for TrumpB次元官网网址檚 struggles with women.

She said she knows people are sometimes turned off Trump by B次元官网网址渁 personality I donB次元官网网址檛 care for. But seeing how he runs this country, thatB次元官网网址檚 what should matter at this point. Because none of us are perfect.B次元官网网址�

Harris, meanwhile, has seized on TrumpB次元官网网址檚 remarks, highlighting them in speeches and online.

The vice president has tried to address her own side of the gender gap, appearing on podcasts and doing interviews particularly geared toward Black men, a traditionally Democratic constituency where Trump appears to be making inroads. She was asked in an interview with CNN on Saturday whether she believes women will make the difference in this election.

B次元官网网址淚 believe all Americans are going to make the difference. And I intend to be a president for all Americans,B次元官网网址� she said.

Trump has pushed back on a suggestion by top Harris surrogate Mark Cuban that Trump does not surround himself with strong, intelligent women. Trump notes that he hired women to lead his 2016 and 2024 campaigns.

But as he has tried to undercut Harris, who is the first woman to be elected vice president, Trump has repeatedly turned to gendered language.

B次元官网网址淪he certainly canB次元官网网址檛 handle (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, President Xi of China. She will get overwhelmed, melt down and millions of people will die,B次元官网网址� he said Saturday.

On Saturday night, he repeated his claim that he is the B次元官网网址渇ather of fertilization,B次元官网网址� awkwardly and falsely taking credit for a fertility procedure that was briefly outlawed in Alabama by a state Supreme Court ruling due to the overturning of Roe.

And at recent rallies, Trump, who was found liable for sexual abuse and has been accused by more than two dozen women of sexual misconduct, has noted female supporters in the audience and mused about how he cannot call them beautiful anymore.

B次元官网网址淵ou have to be very careful. Everything you say. You know, like thereB次元官网网址檚 some women that are very beautiful in the audience. I would never say that,B次元官网网址� Trump said. B次元官网网址淚f I said they were beautiful, thatB次元官网网址檚 the end of my political career.B次元官网网址�