Donald Trump’s “Make America Nice Once more (MAGA)” motion is a sexist cult. He means that America could be “nice” once more provided that fashionable American males be taught to be robust “manly males” like their fathers and grandfathers, assert dominance over “their” ladies, and “take again management” (no matter meaning). what meaning). It encourages males to cover their emotions, adhere to archaic sexual stereotypes, use violence to get forward in life, and take recommendation not from specialists and family members, however from so-called well-known “alpha males,” like podcaster Joe Rogan. or billionaire X. proprietor (and now Trump’s fundamental backer), Elon Musk.
This poisonous motion, constructed on the promise of returning America to an imagined golden age through which ladies knew their place and subsequently life was joyful for all, has sadly set the tone for the upcoming presidential election within the strongest nation on this planet. We now reside in a actuality through which thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands of American males (and no small variety of ladies) appear to see Donald Trump because the epitome of masculine power, and his election as president for a second time as the one reply to the various issues of the nation.
The previous president and actuality TV star has a historical past of insulting and belittling ladies on social media and on tv. He routinely makes crude and offensive feedback about outstanding ladies, and particularly ladies who communicate out publicly towards him at his televised rallies attended by hundreds of individuals. He criticizes their bodily look, insults their households and even their reproductive selections. A minimum of 26 ladies have accused him of assault and sexual misconduct. These allegations date again to the Nineteen Seventies and embrace rape, undesirable kissing, groping and voyeurism. Final yr, a jury in a civil trial discovered him accountable for sexual assault and awarded his accuser $5 million. Trump denies all allegations, however his disdain for girls is apparent to anybody who pays even an oz of consideration to his phrases and conduct. Even his vp decide, JD Vance, is an open misogynist who insults his Democratic rivals by calling them “childless cat women.” As president, Trump appointed the judges who finally overturned Roe v Wade and left American ladies in lots of states with out significant management over their our bodies and lives.
In a sane world, this historical past of misogyny and violent machismo could be sufficient to make sure that Trump has no likelihood of ever getting near the White Home once more. However we do not reside in a sane world.
The MAGA motion has framed the complete election round stereotypes about masculinity. They claimed it is all about bodily stamina, a willingness to inflict violence on enemies, and being a “macho man” on the whole, they usually apparently managed to persuade sufficient individuals to have an excellent likelihood of profitable this election.
What does this inform us about American society?
In current months, we’ve got repeatedly seen Trump’s fundamental rival, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, come underneath assault not for her coverage positions and conduct in workplace, however for her “sexual historical past.” She has been accused of being “promiscuous” in her youth and having “slept her technique to the highest.” Conservative commentator and filmmaker Matt Walsh posted on After all, these are nothing greater than baseless rumors – the outdated story of baseless gossip getting used as a weapon towards a profitable girl. And even when they have been true, her historical past of non-public relationships would don’t have any affect on how Harris would do the job, nor wouldn’t it differentiate her from Trump, a recognized serial adulterer and abuser of girls who bought to the place he’s in life because of household cash. and connections.
Past the run-of-the-mill misogyny centered round alleged promiscuity, “macho” Trump supporters have additionally accused Harris of being a “homewrecker” (resulting from a previous relationship with a then-separated man, however not but divorced). , from his spouse); of truly being a person who transitioned to reside as a lady (that is troublesome to decipher, however maybe the suggestion is that she wouldn’t have been as profitable in politics if she had been a lady by nature); and “not having curiosity in the way forward for the nation” as a result of they don’t have organic youngsters. Harris, the one little one of a first-generation black and South Asian immigrant couple, has additionally been accused of not being black sufficient (as a result of she is half South Asian), not being South Asian sufficient (as a result of she’s half black!) and never being American sufficient (as a result of she was born to immigrant mother and father).
General, all through the marketing campaign season, the MAGA motion appeared to advocate that Harris shouldn’t be elected president as a result of, as a lady, she is morally, bodily and emotionally weak and isn’t geared up to guide the “robust and manly” American nation in that second. this second of disaster and difficulties.
Trying on the obvious success of Trump’s present marketing campaign (regardless of all his scandals and 34 felony convictions, Trump stays tied with Harris in all the newest polls) and his surprising 2016 victory towards the political powerhouse that’s Hillary Clinton, Some have begun to counsel that maybe america just isn’t but prepared – and by no means might be – to elect a lady as its chief.
Whereas these pessimists are undoubtedly proper in regards to the misogyny and sexism of American society and the uphill battle feminine candidates face in American politics, they appear to be ignoring two necessary information. One, Clinton, who carried a lot heavier political baggage than Harris, regardless of shedding the Electoral Faculty, gained the favored vote in 2016. And two, this yr, regardless of all of the misogyny, slander and name-calling, Kamala Harris is not any slouch in any respect. within the polls and has a really actual likelihood of profitable these elections.
Certain, a majority of males (particularly white males) appear to help Trump’s machismo and help him (an October Economist/YouGov ballot confirmed Trump holding an enormous 52 p.c to 43 p.c lead over Harris amongst male voters ). However ladies, who’re nicely conscious of how damaging 4 years of Trump have been to their rights, are additionally displaying up for Harris. In accordance with a current ballot from the Harvard Institute of Politics, Harris leads amongst ladies ages 18 to 29 by a whopping 30 factors. In battleground states like Arizona and Michigan, tens of hundreds of girls, and particularly younger ladies, are recognized to have voted early to make sure Harris’ victory.
Subsequently, a lady can nonetheless take over the White Home within the close to future. Nonetheless, if Harris wins the election and turns into the primary feminine president of america, the American misogyny that Trump uncovered, exploited, and deepened is not going to disappear in a single day.
Simply because the election of President Barack Obama in 2008 didn’t mark the top of racism in American society, the attainable election of Harris in 2024 is not going to finish misogyny and sexism within the nation.
That is partly as a result of Kamala Harris just isn’t a real feminist.
Democratic vp panders to transgender ideology. She appears prepared to permit males who declare to be ladies to trample on ladies’s hard-won sex-based rights within the title of “inclusivity.” She helps so-called “gender-affirming” medical interventions, which unnecessarily mutilate bodily wholesome ladies and ladies and infrequently flip them into lifelong medical sufferers. She is the primary American presidential candidate to help the overall decriminalization of prostitution (which she refers to as “intercourse work”). In some ways, Harris is not any buddy to ladies both. And sadly, she could also be appearing this manner as a result of she believes that true feminism can’t win an American election.
However even when Harris, for some purpose, can not seem to outline what a lady is, Trump definitely can. Of their illiberal and misogynistic thoughts, ladies are intercourse toys, moms and caregivers, and never full human beings with rights, opinions and freedoms.
That is why, if I have been an American, I would not hesitate to vote for Harris as an alternative of Trump, regardless of all my doubts about her feminist credentials.
We’ll discover out, in a matter of days, if sufficient Individuals of all sexes involved about ladies’s rights come to the identical conclusion, present as much as the polls to help Harris, and achieve ending the misogyny fest that has been the race. Trump coverage. .
However no matter political actuality we get up to on November 6, this election season – and the misogyny, hatred and violence towards ladies it normalized – can have penalties. Sooner or later, ladies might be extra afraid to run for public workplace, realizing the harassment and lies they must face merely for being ladies searching for energy and authority. The abuse that Harris has suffered in current months, not due to her politics however due to her intercourse, has proven that america just isn’t but a feminist nation and is certainly not able to elect a real feminist as its chief.
The views expressed on this article are these of the creator and don’t essentially replicate the editorial place of Al Jazeera.
