Federalist senior editor Mollie Hemingway and senior writer Mary Katharine Ham joined CNN’s “The Lead” over the weekend to talk about Donald Trump’s problem with women.
According to a recent CNN/ORC poll, 73 percent of women have an unfavorable view of Trump. This trend is consistent among Republican women, as 47 percent of them say they couldn’t see themselves supporting Trump if he became the GOP nominee.
Hemingway explained that these unfavorable opinions are no surprise.
“Every time he opens his mouth you learn and you understand why a majority of Republicans oppose him, but also why women loathe him,” she said.
Poll: 73% of women have unfavorable view of #Trump https://t.co/mKt9ZmLyGc – panel weighs in #TheLead
— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) March 25, 2016
Hemingway explained that Trump’s recent attacks on Heidi Cruz are only the newest manifestation of a very old problem.
“It’s the one thing that seems consistent going back decades,” Hemingway told CNN. “He’s changed his position all over the place when it’s foreign policy or immigration, but going back decades he seems to struggle with his treatment of women. And I think [that’s why] you see, in the polls, he’s getting crushed by Hillary Clinton.”
Ham explained that while Trump supporters applaud the businessman’s tendency to not play by the rules, the rest of the electorate doesn’t like it.
“This is asymmetrical warfare,” Ham said. “Trump observes no rules or standards and his supporters, the hardcore ones, do not require him to follow any of them. In fact they’re excited that he doesn’t.”
“But when it gets to the general electorate, people are turned off,” Ham concluded. “Women specifically are turned off.”
