What happened
Kamala Harris slammed Donald Trump Thursday for vowing to "protect the women" of America "whether the women like it or not." Trump allies, meanwhile, said they were outraged by a pro-Harris ad telling married women they can keep their vote secret from their Trump-loving husbands, and by Harris supporter Mark Cuban saying "you never see" Trump "around strong, intelligent women — ever" — because "they're intimidating to him."
Who said what
Trump's "like it or not" comment at a rally Wednesday "was another hairpin turn that took the presidential race from literal trash talk to gender issues in its closing stage," The New York Times said, each candidate "trying to inflict political wounds." Trump "simply does not respect the freedom of women or the intelligence of women to know what's in their own best interests and make decisions accordingly," Harris said in Phoenix. "But we trust women."
Trump's "comments evoked, for many critics, the numerous sexual misconduct allegations against him and his history of misogynistic remarks," including his infamous "Access Hollywood" hot-mic conversation, now getting a second life on TikTok, The Washington Post said. On the other hand, "some female supporters of the former president see the protector line as reassuring."
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 pro-Harris "what happens in the booth stays in the booth" ad, produced by a liberal evangelical Christian group and narrated by Julia Roberts, drew particular ire from Trump allies Charlie Kirk and Fox News' Jesse Watters, who said secretly voting for Harris was "the same thing as having an affair."
What next?
Cuban said his comment about Trump and "strong, intelligent women" was referring to Nikki Haley, Trump's former GOP primary rival. Haley told Fox News' Bret Baier on Tuesday she's just waiting for Trump's call to campaign for him. But his "bromance and masculinity stuff, it borders on edgy to the point that it's going to make women uncomfortable," she added. "That is not the way to win women."
-
The 8 best dark comedies of the 21st centuryFrom Santa Claus to suicide terrorism, these movies skewered big, taboo subjects
-
France’s ‘red hands’ trial highlights alleged Russian disruption operationsUNDER THE RADAR Attacks on religious and cultural institutions around France have authorities worried about Moscow’s effort to sow chaos in one of Europe’s political centers
-
Crossword: October 30, 2025The Week's daily crossword
-
What does history say about Trump’s moves in Latin America?Today's Big Question ‘Bitter memories’ surface as the US targets Venezuela
-
Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariffSpeed Read Five Senate Republicans joined the Democrats in rebuking Trump’s import tax
-
Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICESpeed Read Half of the new ICE directors are reportedly from DHS’s more aggressive Customs and Border Protection branch
-
Is the ceasefire in Gaza really working?Today's Big Question Neither Israel and Hamas has an interest in a full return to hostilities but ‘brutally simple arithmetic’ in region may scupper peace plan long-term
-
Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff
-
No Kings rally: What did it achieve?Feature The latest ‘No Kings’ march has become the largest protest in U.S. history
-
Push for Ukraine ceasefire collapsesFeature Talks between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin were called off after the Russian president refused to compromise on his demands
-
Trump eyes regime change in VenezuelaFeature Officials believe Trump’s ‘war on narco-terrorism’ is actually a push to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro
