Donald Trump is a man who does not care for the general well being of women.
I say this in light of a few things that have been subject to controversy this week. First, his defense for Corey Lewandowski, and his statements regarding abortion. While this isn't the first time he has been under scrutiny for being misogynistic toward women, Trump's sexism and misogyny are concerning for a man running in the presidential election. From accusing Megyn Kelly of being on her period to posting an unflattering picture of Ted Cruz's wife next to his, he has clearly shown us how he views women.
Despite the fact that Corey Lewandowski was charged with battery, and that there was tape evidence, Donald Trump has continued to defend his campaign manager, insinuating that the reporter, Michelle Fields had lied and overdramatized the entire situation. Although the security cameras clearly show Lewandowski roughly pulling the arm of Fields, Trump sided with his manager and refused to fire him, saying, "when you look at what happened, it was so minor that he might not have even thought about it … are we going to destroy a man's life?"
His dismissal of the whole thing highlights the underlying culture of victim blaming we see in our society. He never believes Fields for a second, questioning her motives and calling her a liar. To add insult to injury, Lewandowski also calls her out and dismisses the whole thing as an attention seeking act. Trump even goes as far as to use previous incidents of police abuse reports against her. He believes that the police reports prove she must be doing it for attention.
Michelle Fields then tweeted a photo of her arm, which show evident bruising. When asked to explain this, Trump quickly responds, "How do you know those bruises weren’t there before?”
His use of victim blaming tactics do not belong in this day and age where we want to see progress for women and feminism. His comments on such a public platform perpetuate the violence against women we are trying so hard to prevent. By turning himself into the victim of the whole situation, he further disregards Fields and other victims of violence who have faced similar reactions against them. Trump shamelessly calls to Lewandowski's defense, saying he was only trying to block Field's attempts to get to him. What really enrages me is when he sympathizes with Lewandowski, saying it's unfair for a nice man with a beautiful family and children to get charged with battery.
The future looks bleak for women if Trump ever gets elected for Presidency. With tape evidence, and assault charges against his manager, Trump makes it clear where he stands when it comes to violence against women. These views are deeply engrained in our society, and if we really want to take a stand for victims of violence, and getting rid of structural violence against women, we cannot let a man who is openly misogynistic be President.
