As the race for the presidential election heats up after the first debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, people are beginning to take stances in favor of either candidate. This election has revealed distinct lines between gender, race, age and party support, resulting in heated arguments and agitated protests around the world. The question remains: Who are the women choosing to support Trump?
Although Trump has not garnered the same level of support from women as men, he has nevertheless proved that he has some appeal to female voters.
According to The Washington Post, some conservative women are drawn to the policies and ideals of the billionaire businessman, who announced his candidacy in June, 2015. In fact, 39 percent of women will likely vote for him this November, according to the latest New York Times/CBS poll.
So why do these women support Trump? The answer lies within the idea of the ‘nostalgia vote,’ which is discussed in this CNN article. Female Trump supporters, the majority of whom are white, are concerned about the country’s current stance on moral values and immigration. They believe that Trump, if president, would promote growth and work for change as promised by his “Make America Great Again” slogan.
Many women also share Trump’s disillusionment with the Republican Party. Believing that the GOP no longer shares the same values they once supported, these women are looking to Trump to turn the tables in the upcoming months.
One Facebook page mirrors these sentiments. The ‘Women for Donald Trump‘ page has over 50,000 followers espousing support for Trump, who has received backlash in recent months over his comments in regards to women. The about page shares the supporters’ beliefs. “As women we are proud to have Trump represent us; we are refreshed to have strength and unabashed principle represented; we thank Trump for standing up for all Americans, as a true leader should, and refusing to apologize for the principles we hold dear.”
Still, despite some women’s support of Trump, statistics show that most women do not approve of the candidate. One Gallup poll earlier this year found that seven in 10 women have an unfavorable opinion of Trump.
In fact, one Morning Consult poll found that younger women aged 18-34 were twice as likely to vote for Clinton. However, Trump has made several strategic moves to draw the support of young female voters. In July, Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, spoke about women’s issues – including inequality in the workplace – in an attempt to generate increased female backing of her father.
In her speech, she told viewers, “As President, my father will change the labor laws that were put in place during a time in which women were not a significant part of the workforce and will focus on making quality childcare affordable and accessible for all.”
Interestingly, one poll shows that the “broad majority of voters – both male and female” are happy to see “a woman’s name on the ballot.” Although excited that women have reached this milestone, surveyed voters said that “would have preferred that that first woman not be Hillary Clinton.”
While the latest Bloomberg survey shows the two candidates neck and neck, with each candidate clocking 46 percent of the public’s support, an earlier Quinnipiac University survey found that “women back Clinton 50-33 percent while men back Trump 47-34 percent.” Despite Trump’s collection of sexist offhand comments regarding women – going so far as to call pregnant women an ‘inconvenience’ to employers, tell people not to vote for Carly Fiorina because of “that face” and call women “pigs, slobs and dogs” – statistics show that 39 percent of women are still choosing to back the real estate tycoon turned presidential nominee.
