Former President Trump said at a rally in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania on Monday that he would protect women if elected, and called his opponent, Vice President Harris, “very stupid.”
At one point, Trump, whose polls have shown him lagging behind Harris among female voters, tried to speak directly to the women in the audience. Authentic Social Posts Trump said over the weekend that if he were elected, women would be happier and “never even think about abortion.”
“I make this statement to the great women of our nation, who, sadly, are poorer than four years ago, have worse health than four years ago, are less safe on the streets than four years ago, pay much higher prices for groceries and everything else than four years ago,” Trump said.
“I will resolve all of that quickly and finally this nightmare for our country, our nation will be over. It will be over,” Trump said. “Because I am your guardian. I want to be your guardian. As president, I have to be your guardian. I hope you don't make a big deal out of it. I hope the fake news doesn't report, 'Oh, he wants to be their guardian.' Yes, I am a guardian. As president, I have to be your guardian.”
Trump has struggled to win over female voters in the past two presidential elections, and polls show him trailing Harris again this time. Harris has rapidly solidified her support among female voters since replacing President Biden as the top Democratic candidate. Harris has made reproductive rights a central issue in her campaign, blaming Trump for the end of Roe v. Wade and the tough abortion laws that have since been passed in states across the country.
aNew York Times/Siena College PollA poll conducted after the Sept. 10 debate between Harris and Trump found that VP Harris led among women 53 percent to Trump's 42 percent, while Trump led among men 56 percent to 39 percent.
At a rally on Monday, Trump urged Republicans to focus on policy, and throughout the night he lambasted Harris and attacked her intellect, even as Harris, Trump's running mate, said Democrats should hold back in the wake of the new assassination attempt against Trump.
“She's worse than him,” Trump said, comparing Harris to President Biden. “I'm telling you, look at her. She's not as smart as him. He's not smart, he's never been smart… But she's a very stupid person. And we can't do that. We can't do that. I don't want to be rude.”
Trump argued that a Harris presidency would crash the economy and overrun cities with crime and immigrants. At one point, he referred to the city of Springfield, Ohio, which has come under attack by Republicans over the influx of Haitian immigrants, and his supporters chanted “send them back!”
“Do I think Springfield will ever be the same again? I don't think so,” Trump said. “In fact, I'll tell you right now, we just need to get them out. We need to get them out. I'm sorry, but get them out. We can't let it stay that way. They've destroyed Springfield.”
Many Haitians are in the U.S. under Temporary Protected Status, which allows them to avoid deportation to their troubled country and allow them to work in the U.S. The Biden administration plans to allow an estimated 309,000 Haitians to stay in the U.S. until at least February 2026.
Trump rallied with supporters in Indiana and Pennsylvania, his first visit to the state since late August. Harris has a 1.2 percentage point lead over Trump in Pennsylvania, according to the Decision Desk HQ/The Hill average of polls.
The former president said Monday that the results in Pennsylvania could determine the winner of November's election.
“Make a plan to vote early, absentee or in person on Election Day, but you still need to get out and vote.”
“If you win Pennsylvania, you win everything. It's that simple,” Trump said.
