Even before Vice President Kamala Harris took over as the likely Democratic nominee, the 2024 election was shaping up to be a battle of the sexes. Last week's Republican National Convention was deliberately planned as a chest-beating affair that would contrast Donald Trump's macho bona fides with President Biden's more female-friendly, reproductive rights–focused campaign. Big-game hunter Donald Trump Jr. introduced J.D. Vance — a "pro-natalist" who calls women without kids "childless cat ladies" — as Trump's running mate. Dana White, CEO of the testosterone-jacked Ultimate Fighting Championship, got the honor of introducing the GOP's alpha male. "I'm in the tough-guy business," White said of Trump, "and this guy's the toughest, most resilient guy I've ever met." And pro-wrestling star Hulk Hogan praised Trump for surviving his attempted assassination like "a warrior" — before ripping off his T-shirt to reveal a Trump-Vance tank top and hollering "Let Trumpmania run wild, brother!"
Doubling down on hypermasculinity makes for cringeworthy viewing, but it's smart politics. Before this week, polls showed Trump leading Biden in most of the six big swing states, thanks largely to his double-digit lead among men, which was greater than Biden's single-digit lead among women. Trump's pledge to "Make America Great Again," with its implicit promise to restore traditional gender hierarchies, seems to be resonating with younger men especially. In a recent Pew survey, 40 percent of men ages 18 to 49 who support Trump agreed that women's gains in society have come at the expense of men — 11 points higher than among older Trump-supporting men. As young men shift right, young women are going left and are now 15 points more liberal than their male peers. The consequences of this gender chasm will be felt long beyond November. A nation in which men and women view one another as political foes will be one with a lot more lonely, angry people.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The Nutcracker: English National Ballet's reboot restores 'festive sparkle'The Week Recommends Long-overdue revamp of Tchaikovsky's ballet is 'fun, cohesive and astoundingly pretty'
-
Congress reaches spending deal to avert shutdownSpeed Read The bill would fund the government through March 14, 2025
-
Today's political cartoons - December 18, 2024Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - thoughts and prayers, pound of flesh, and more
-
Failed trans missionOpinion How activists broke up the coalition gay marriage built
-
Is the United States becoming an oligarchy?Talking Points How much power do billionaires like Elon Musk really have?
-
Ex-FBI informant pleads guilty to lying about BidensSpeed Read Alexander Smirnov claimed that President Joe Biden and his son Hunter were involved in a bribery scheme with Ukrainian energy company Burisma
-
'It's easier to break something than to build it'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Biden sets new clemency record, hints at moreSpeed Read President Joe Biden commuted a record 1,499 sentences and pardoned 39 others convicted of nonviolent crimes
-
Kari Lake: the election denier picked to lead Voice of AmericaIn the Spotlight A staunch Trump ally with a history of incendiary rhetoric and spreading conspiracy theories is Donald Trump's pick to lead the country's premier state media outlet
-
Will Biden clear out death row before leaving office?Today's Big Question Trump could oversee a 'wave of executions' otherwise
-
FBI Director Christopher Wray to step down for Trumpspeed read The president-elect had vowed to fire Wray so he could install loyalist Kash Patel
