Insults, personal attacks on Twitter, tirades on television: Donald Trump’s behaviour towards women, including presidential rival Hillary Clinton, has become a liability that could cost him the electi
Insults, personal attacks on Twitter, tirades on television: Donald Trump’s behaviour towards women, including presidential rival Hillary Clinton, has become a liability that could cost him the election.
The Republican candidate has said, “I cherish women. I want to help women.”
But his record shows otherwise. He landed in hot water most recently for deriding Venezuelan former Miss Universe Alicia Machado as “Miss Piggy” after she gained weight.
But that is only the latest in a cornucopia of insults directed at female journalists, comedians and politicians, whose physiques, sex lives, competence and physical health have been targets of Trump’s gibes.
In a first for a White House candidate, the 70-year-old Trump took to Twitter at 5:00 am to attack Machado, goading followers to check out her past and a supposed “sex tape.”
He’s also the first to mockingly mimic his rival during a rally, imitating Ms Clinton’s stumble as she fell ill at a September 11 memorial last month.
“Here’s a woman, she’s supposed to fight all of these different things, and she can’t make it 15 feet to her car. Give me a break,”said Mr Trump, who for months has taunted Clinton as “Crooked Hillary.”
During the first presidential debate, a forum voters generally turn to for substance and nuance, Trump attacked comedian Rosie O’Donnell (the two have criticised each other for years).
“I said very tough things to her and I think everybody would agree she deserves it and nobody feels sorry for her,” Mr Trump said.
Mr Trump feuded for months with Fox News journalist Megyn Kelly (“I refuse to call Megyn Kelly a bimbo, because that would not be politically correct. Instead I will only call her a lightweight reporter!”) although the two made amends in May.
He tweeted that Mika Brzezinski, a co-host on MSNBC’s Morning Joe political show, was the “very insecure long-time girlfriend” of its other host, Joe Scarborough. The two are not in a relationship. Then there was Trump’s Republican opponent Carly Fiorina, who competed against him in the primaries. “Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that ” Mr Trump said of Ms Fiorina.
