By Katie Rogers and Reid J. Epstein
On Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris denounced comments made by her GOP opponent, former President Donald Trump, who claimed he would safeguard American women “whether they like it or not,” describing his remarks as clear evidence that a second term for him would be detrimental to women.
Harris, addressing supporters from Wisconsin before traveling for campaign events in the West, stated that Trump’s comments during a rally near Green Bay delivered a “very offensive” message to Americans as the election approached.
Her statement aimed to redirect the narrative of a race that has been split along gender lines back onto her opponent, countering Trump’s efforts to link her campaign to statements made by President Joe Biden, who recently appeared to label the Republican nominee’s supporters as “garbage.”
Since Trump led a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York, where attendees expressed racist and sexist sentiments, Harris and her team have proactively sought to control the news narrative, turning the spotlight back on the former president. As Election Day nears, Harris has focused on attracting moderate Republican and independent women, especially in suburban areas, by emphasizing her commitment to reproductive rights and framing Trump as a threat to those rights.
Thus, Harris dedicated seven minutes to address Trump’s history with women, responding to three questions from the press in Madison, Wisconsin, prior to a series of back-to-back rallies across the Sun Belt.
“It is indeed very offensive to women regarding their agency, authority, rights, and abilities to make choices about their own lives, particularly their bodies,” she remarked. “This is just the latest in a series of disclosures from the former president about his views on women and their autonomy.”
In her comments, Harris also cautioned that Trump would attempt to dismantle the Affordable Care Act if he secured another term. As president, he unsuccessfully pursued the repeal of the health care law, which has gained popularity among a majority of Americans since then.
Harris referred to statements earlier this week by Speaker Mike Johnson, a Trump ally, who indicated that Republicans would aim for “massive reform” of the law should the former president win. Johnson, according to the vice president, would serve as “further validation” of Trump’s initiatives.
“The fate of healthcare for all Americans hinges on this election,” she stated.
However, Harris primarily concentrated on Trump’s comments regarding women’s safety, which he presented in a paternalistic manner. Although women at his rally expressed enthusiasm, Democrats criticized the remarks widely. Many pointed out Trump’s satisfaction over the reversal of the constitutional right to abortion, along with his record of misogynistic comments and behavior towards women.
In her comments to journalists, Harris claimed that the former president’s statement was “offensive to everyone, by the way.”
Trump’s comments about protecting women — which he admitted onstage he made despite his advisers warning that such remarks could harm his campaign — threatened to further complicate his closing message to American voters. His statements also recalled his history of using harsh or misogynistic language towards women, a civil court case finding him liable for sexual abuse, and the accounts of about two dozen women who alleged he had mistreated or assaulted them.
His initial presidential campaign was shaken in October 2016 when leaked audio from an earlier appearance on “Access Hollywood” captured him boasting about grabbing women by the genitals, which he later trivialized as “locker room banter.” In civil court, Trump was found liable for sexually abusing and defaming writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused him of raping her in the dressing room of a Manhattan department store in the 1990s. Trump is currently appealing that ruling.
Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, released a statement saying, “Why does Kamala Harris have a problem with President Trump wanting to safeguard women, men, and children from migrant crime and foreign threats?”
The former president also mentioned Harris on his social media platform.
“Lyin’ Kamala is holding a news conference now, claiming that I intend to abolish the Affordable Care Act,” Trump posted. “I never suggested doing that, nor even considered it. She also claimed I wish to end Social Security. Similarly, that was never mentioned or contemplated.”
As a candidate, Trump has shown interest in replacing the Affordable Care Act and advocating for cuts to entitlement programs, including Social Security and Medicare. He also aimed to repeal the Affordable Care Act during his presidency.
As he approached his Wisconsin rally, Trump sought to capitalize on Biden’s remarks that seemed to label Trump supporters as “garbage,” made following a comic’s disparagement of Puerto Rico as “a floating island of garbage” during the former president’s rally at Madison Square Garden. Trump staged a stunt involving a garbage truck in Wisconsin and donned an orange garbage collector’s vest during his speech.
However, by the end of Trump’s rally, his opponents, including Harris, had seized upon his statements about women, recognizing an opportunity to shift the focus back onto him.
“Donald Trump believes he should dictate what you do with your body,” Harris stated on social media following Trump’s remarks. “Whether you like it or not.”
Harris had a series of rallies lined up later on Thursday in Phoenix; Reno, Nevada; and Las Vegas, where she is scheduled to appear with Jennifer Lopez, the Puerto Rican American actress who is among a wave of Hispanic celebrities that have rallied to support the Harris campaign in the wake of Trump’s New York rally.
