By Tony Bruce | Wednesday, November 14, 2024 | 9 min read
Following the 2024 election, some commentators have voiced criticism toward the demographic of white women voters, noting their significant role in supporting Donald Trump’s re-election. Polls had suggested he faced challenges within this group, yet a substantial portion of white women ultimately backed him over the Democratic candidate, echoing their support in 2016 when Trump ran against Hillary Clinton.
Mary Jones, editor at FeDlan News, expressed her frustration in a recent opinion piece, using the phrase “coward sisters” to describe these voters and suggesting they were pivotal in Trump’s success. Her words reflected a sense of dismay over what she sees as a pattern of voting choices that counter broader expectations or projections for this demographic.
This commentary has sparked broader discussions about voter motivations and the complex political landscape, highlighting differing views on loyalty, political alignment, and the influence of identity on voting behaviors.
Donald Trump won a second term in the 2024 election, defeating Kamala Harris, who made history as a Black and South Asian female candidate. This marked Trump’s second victory over a female opponent in a general election, following his 2016 win over Hillary Clinton.
Throughout her campaign, Harris focused on reproductive rights, emphasizing the risks of further abortion restrictions if Trump were re-elected. She aimed to draw support from women across party lines, urging them to consider the impact of Trump’s policies on women’s rights.
In a notable ad supporting Harris, the nonprofit Vote Common Good, endorsed by Julia Roberts, encouraged women to vote independently, implying that some women might quietly support Harris even if their spouses backed Trump. This ad highlighted a key message of autonomy, suggesting that women might make a choice at the ballot box that wasn’t openly discussed at home.
According to recent exit polls, former President Trump won the support of white women voters over Harris by an eight-point margin, with 53% backing him compared to 45% supporting Harris. This builds on a trend seen in previous elections: Trump led among white women by seven points over President Joe Biden in 2020, with 53% choosing him, up from 47% in 2016 when he ran against Hillary Clinton, according to the Pew Research Center.
White women represented the largest demographic subgroup in the 2024 election when analyzed by both race and gender, comprising about 37% of the electorate. In contrast, women of color, who make up a smaller proportion of voters, showed strong support for Harris, with 91% of Black women and 60% of Latina women backing her over Trump. This breakdown highlights the continued divide in voter preferences along racial and gender lines, with starkly different levels of support between white women and women of color for the presidential candidates.
As supporters of Vice President Harris look back on her campaign, seeking to uncover the barriers to her success, some argue that attention should be directed less at systemic misogyny and more at the role of white women voters themselves. It’s challenging for many to grasp why some women might choose a candidate with a controversial history over an experienced, scandal-free female candidate.
Many find it difficult to reconcile why a significant portion of women voters did not shift their support, even in light of ongoing abortion restrictions following the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, which has led to stories of rape victims being forced to carry pregnancies to term and deaths from pregnancy complications in states with strict abortion laws. Yet, this voting pattern among some white women persists, highlighting a complex dynamic within American politics.
During MSNBC’s election night coverage, Joy Reid discussed how Vice President Harris struggled to gain support among white women voters, even in states where abortion access had been restricted following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and ended the federal protection for abortion rights.
“Black voters came through for Kamala Harris,” Reid observed, noting the difference in support levels. “White women voters did not.” She suggested that racial and party loyalties may have influenced voting patterns more than issues directly affecting gender rights, such as abortion access. Reid added, “If people vote more along party lines or based on race rather than gender, then sometimes all you can do is make the case and hope people make the right decision.”
On The View, co-host Sunny Hostin shared her perspective on the election outcome, attributing Trump’s victory partly to a lack of support from what she termed “uneducated white women.” Both Reid’s and Hostin’s remarks highlight the complexity of voter motivations and raise questions about how different groups respond to issues like reproductive rights and racial representation in political leadership.
On The View, co-host Sunny Hostin shared her thoughts on the recent election, expressing disappointment that Black women showed up strongly for Harris, while a significant portion of white women—around 52%—supported Trump. “Black women tried to save this country again last night,” she said, highlighting the consistent support from Black women voters. She attributed much of Trump’s support to what she referred to as “uneducated white women.”
However, some have argued that Harris’s campaign may have missed the mark in winning over certain female voters. Critics like USA Today columnist Ingrid Jacques noted that the Harris campaign may have alienated some women by “talking down to conservative women” in the final stretch. She pointed to an ad narrated by Julia Roberts that urged women to vote for Harris, even if quietly, as a possible misstep that missed the mark with many conservative-leaning women.
Jacques argued that women, like men, weigh a variety of issues—such as the economy, crime, and immigration—when casting their votes, and Harris’s campaign did not offer enough to reassure voters on those key points. This criticism suggests that winning over a broader base of women voters requires addressing these top concerns more directly.
She added, “If I were advising the next Democratic candidate, I’d suggest they avoid dismissing a powerful group of voters who are fully capable of making their own decisions.”
In an opinion piece for Slate, author Anna Rollins critiqued the Harris campaign for missteps in reaching out to white women they believed might reconsider their support for Republicans after the Dobbs decision. Rollins described the ad narrated by Julia Roberts as “incredibly condescending,” noting that it painted conservative women as passive or easily manipulated, rather than as individuals with strong beliefs and agency.
Rollins, who voted for Harris herself, added that if the campaign had focused more on addressing core issues for conservative women—particularly economic concerns—rather than characterizing them as “weak” or “misguided,” they might have successfully gained some of their support. This, Rollins argued, would have demonstrated a more respectful and impactful approach to winning over these voters.
Terrible Crimes Couldn’t Stop These Women from Voting for Trump—A Complex Story of Belief and Loyalty
For many women who supported Trump, crime isn’t just a political talking point—it’s a personal concern. Some voters, particularly in suburban and rural areas, feel that safety issues have worsened in recent years. News stories and social media can magnify these anxieties, making crime feel close to home even for those who may live far from urban areas where crime rates are higher. In conversations across the country, many women say they trust Trump’s policies on crime, immigration, and policing more than those of his opponents. To them, his promise of “law and order” is a comforting pledge to uphold the safety of their families and communities.
Sarah, a 39-year-old mother of two from Ohio, says her support for Trump goes beyond any headlines or controversies. “I want someone who isn’t afraid to call things like they are. My neighborhood has seen a rise in break-ins, and I feel safer with a leader who’s focused on protecting our homes and our streets.” Sarah acknowledges that Trump’s policies and statements aren’t universally popular, but she views them as “tough love” necessary for a safer America.
Despite Trump’s appeal to these concerns, critics argue that supporting a candidate with legal controversies and criminal investigations raises a question about accountability. For many Americans, especially those directly impacted by Trump’s policies, this raises concerns about whether focusing solely on a candidate’s stance on crime can come at the cost of overlooking serious ethical and legal issues. “It’s not about loyalty anymore,” says Jessica, a teacher from Chicago. “It’s about choosing leaders we can actually trust.”
But for Trump’s core supporters, many of whom feel alienated by other parties or candidates, these charges are seen as political noise or even a calculated attack on their choice of leader. Supporters argue that Trump’s polarizing approach is often exaggerated by the media and that his directness resonates with their values.
In interviews, some women express that their choice to vote for Trump is often deeply emotional. Sarah explains that supporting Trump feels like a vote for herself, her values, and her concerns. “I’m not naive,” she says. “I don’t agree with everything he’s done or said, but I believe his policies and his platform are better for me and my kids.”
This perspective of emotional loyalty reflects a sentiment that transcends logic for some voters. In an era where information overload can blur the lines between policy and personality, many women find themselves weighing Trump’s impact on their everyday lives. To them, his promises align closely with their fears and hopes for America.
For these women, their vote is more than just support for one individual. It’s a declaration of their values, a statement on what they want for the future of their country, and a complex mix of security, loyalty, and resilience. Their choice to stand by Trump despite controversy reveals just how nuanced political decisions can be for American voters.
Copyright 2024 FN, NewsRoom.
