Trump Faces ‘Utter Antipathy’ from Republican Women Voters: Could It Cost Him the Election?
Photograph: Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images
As the 2024 election approaches, a crucial voting bloc could spell trouble for former President Donald Trump. According to Marc Caputo, a journalist for Politico and The Bulwark, a conservative anti-Trump publication, Trump’s unpopularity among women voters—particularly Republican and independent women—may have a significant impact in November.
Caputo shared his insights during an interview with New Republic staff writer Greg Sargent on his podcast. “The problem that Republican data guys, when they hold these focus groups with women, are encountering is the utter antipathy that they have for Donald Trump,” Caputo explained. “One told me that, invariably, when you see these women being interviewed, a word that will always come up is either ‘disgusting’ or ‘pig’, or sometimes both, to describe Trump.”
He highlighted that many of these women had closely aligned with or voted for former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, reflecting a significant portion of the Republican base. Caputo’s analysis aligns with data from Republican primary elections in swing states. Despite suspending her campaign over a month before Pennsylvania’s GOP primary, Haley managed to secure 156,000 votes, representing more than 16% of Republicans in the state.
Similar patterns emerged in Georgia and Wisconsin, where she received 77,000 and over 76,000 votes, respectively, even after her exit from the race. These numbers indicate that a substantial segment of Republican voters remains unenthusiastic about Trump leading the party in the general election. This trend opens an opportunity for Vice President Kamala Harris, especially in critical swing states.
If Harris manages to attract even a fraction of Haley’s supporters, it could make a crucial difference in an election expected to be decided by narrow margins. For context, President Joe Biden won Arizona, Georgia, and Wisconsin by razor-thin margins in 2020—less than 11,000 votes in Arizona, under 12,000 in Georgia, and fewer than 21,000 in Wisconsin. Similarly, Trump’s 2016 victory in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin hinged on just 78,000 votes combined.
Compounding Trump’s challenge with women voters is his choice of running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), who has a history of making disparaging comments about women, including remarks about “childless cat ladies” influencing progressive policies. This choice may further alienate women voters critical to securing a victory.
The issue of reproductive rights also plays a central role in this election. Harris has championed the restoration of abortion rights by advocating for the codification of Roe v. Wade. In contrast, Trump is trying to balance appeasing his evangelical base while appealing to women voters—a difficult task. He has defended his appointments of three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe but has been vague about supporting a national abortion ban.
Some Republicans have pointed out that enforcing the Comstock Act of 1873 could further complicate Trump’s stance. This act would ban the mailing of abortion drugs, which make up a significant portion of abortions in the U.S., making them much less accessible. With such critical issues at stake, Trump’s deficit with women voters could be the deciding factor in November.
