Trump says he would 'protect' women 'whether women like it or not'

Former President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would “protect” women “whether women like it or not,” a comment that the Harris campaign immediately pounced on.

Trump said at his rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, that his “people” had previously told him that they didn't think he should say that he wanted to “protect the women of our country,” as he had previously said on the campaign trail.

“I said, 'Well, I'm going to do it whether the women like it or not,'” Trump said. “I will protect her.”

Vice President Kamala Harris and her campaign quickly highlighted his comments about X.

“Donald Trump thinks he should be allowed to decide what to do with his body,” Harris said in a post. “Whether you like it or not.”

A Harris campaign spokeswoman, Sarafina Chitika, also said on X that Trump “thinks he knows better than the women of America.”

Reached for comment, Trump campaign spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said: “Harris may be the first female vice president, but she has implemented dangerously liberal policies that have left women worse off financially and far less secure than four years ago under President Trump.”

“Women deserve a president who will secure our country’s borders, drive violent criminals from our neighborhoods and build an economy that helps our families thrive – and that’s exactly what President Trump will do,” Leavitt added, citing the White House’s migration record and the economy.

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Harris has dedicated much of her campaign to preserving and expanding reproductive rights following the end of Roe v. Wade concentrated. She often says at rallies that she wants to sign a bill that would reinstate protections from the landmark Supreme Court case.

Trump's campaign is trying to win over female voters in a race where polls show razor-thin margins in several battleground states.

Trump, already facing criticism within his Republican ranks for his “excessive masculinity” and his poor performance with female voters in recent polls, has vowed to end Roe v. on the issue of turning abortions over to the states. Trump has also said he will not sign a federal abortion ban.

An NBC News poll this month suggested a large gender gap in voter preferences for the candidates, with women supporting Harris by a 14 percentage point margin and men supporting Trump by a 16 percentage point margin.

The same poll found that voters viewed abortion as their top motivating issue. 22% said they thought it was important enough that they would only vote on this issue.