President Donald Trump (pictured above) openly mocks women with no remorse. This behavior is unbecoming and must end. (Michael Vadon/Creative Commons)
President Donald Trump seems to attract controversy like a magnet, branding daily headlines of news organizations across the country. This magnetism stems from his radical behavior and outlandish comments, but his most recent unprofessional remarks toward women has made many headlines this month. This repugnant treatment must stop.
These misogynistic actions particularly revolve around the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court, Trump’s outright disrespect towards journalists—specifically female journalists—and women accusing him of sexual misbehaviors.
Trump selected female ABC News reporter Cecilia Vega to ask a question during an Oct. 1 Rose Garden press conference. After she stood up, he made assumptions on how she felt about being chosen, claiming that she was shocked he picked her, according to USA Today.
Vega responded politely and said, “I’m not, thank you Mr. President.” Trump apparently misheard Vega and responded, “I know you’re not thinking. You never do.”
This exchange reflects Trump’s incredible disrespect toward reporters, especially female reporters. Firstly, he claimed to know what she was thinking without her even speaking a word, which is already troublesome and misogynistic.
Secondly, to claim that she “never” thinks is incredibly presumptuous and just outright rude. Additionally, because he does not know Vega beyond a reporter, saying “you never think” seems as if he is placing this assumption on a group of people: either all reporters or all women.
It is fair to argue, however, that Trump would never say something so degrading to a male reporter. Either way, the comment came out of nowhere and is representative of an inappropriate behavior of a U.S. president.
This instance becomes especially troublesome when compared to how Trump reacted to the testimony of Christine Blasey Ford against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh the very next day on Oct. 2.
After expressing sentiment for Ford’s testimony, Trump openly mocked it at a Mississippi rally.
“What neighborhood was it in? I don’t know. Where’s the house? I don’t know. Upstairs, downstairs—where was it? I don’t know—but I had one beer. That’s the only thing I remember,” Trump said at the rally according to CNN.
Not only was his mockery false because Ford was incredibly detailed in her testimony, but his complete change in sympathy towards Ford is untrustworthy and abhorrent.
Additionally, Trump had the audacity to apologize to Kavanaugh for the troubles he went through in the process of his nomination at the swearing in ceremony of Kavanaugh on Oct. 8, according to NBC News. This happened in lieu of Trump recognizing the agony in Ford’s testimony.
Instead of taking Ford’s words to heart, Trump chose to see them as intentionally disparaging and took the side of the accused. In one fell swoop, Trump took the #MeToo movement—a movement that embodies female empowerment and speaks up for sexual assault survivors—and turned it on his head.
“When combined with his own flood of sexual misconduct accusations, all of these recent inappropriate behaviors exemplify and capitalize on the minimal consideration Trump devotes to women. ”
The latter incidents were not just troubling, but Trump also called Stormy Daniels, an adult film star who claimed to have an affair with Trump, “horseface” on Twitter on Tuesday Oct. 16 and stated he was going to “go after her.”
Again, not only is publicly calling a woman “horseface” demeaning and disgusting, but the threat and overall attitude of the tweet instills fear and a threatening stance by Trump. No American citizen, especially women in this day and age, should feel threatened by the president of the U.S.
When combined with his own flood of sexual misconduct accusations, all of these recent inappropriate behaviors exemplify and capitalize on the minimal consideration Trump devotes to women.
Trump has shown time and time again how little he cares for around half the population of his country, but now it has become too much.
Trump’s negative and distasteful attitude, specifically towards women, needs to end. It’s abysmal and even contradictory that Trump can blatantly disrespect innocent women and at the same time support corrupt men in power.