Trump will look out at a sea of women during his State of the Union
"Horseface." "Unattractive both inside and out." "Nasty woman." Those are just a few of the insults President Trump has hurled at women over the years. But for the State of the Union on Tuesday, Democrats are preparing a "feminist statement" to contrast with the president's rhetoric, packing the House chamber — and his line of sight — with women, The Associated Press reports.
In addition to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who will sit over Trump's shoulder on camera, and former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, who is presenting the Democratic rebuttal, two former Trump employees, both of whom are women and immigrants and have spoken out against the president's hiring practices, will be looming in the gallery overhead as guests.
Additionally, many of the record number of women House members are planning to wear "suffragette white" to stand out, as they have in years past, in "a declaration that we will not go back on our hard-earned rights," according to Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), the chairwoman of the House Democratic Women's Working Group.
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For Democrats, a women-heavy audience is perhaps a particularly important visual as Trump is expected to "reaffirm his commitment to pro-life things," a Republican close to the White House told Politico.
"The American people elected a new Democratic Majority that would end the attacks on women's health care, and fight for preventive care for women," Pelosi said in a statement last month. "Strengthened by the millions of fearless women who continue to stand and march for their health care and rights, the House will fight to protect and build upon the promise of Roe v. Wade."
It won't be hard for Trump to miss which women she's talking about.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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