2016 Elections
Women Trump Voters
why white women vote for trump
Gender did indeed decide the 2016 presidential election, just not in the way that many expected. We know that the choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump wasn’t decided by female versus male voters, because approximately 52% of white women voted for Donald Trump.
Throughout the 2016 presidential election, many liberal observers were surprised that women voters would support a candidate who talks about women the way Trump does, especially with such a qualified woman as Hillary Clinton in the race.
New data suggests that Republican women may not see sexism the way Democrats do.
Only 51% of Republican women said Trump’s comments upset them, and 65% of Republican men said they were barely or not at all outraged by the remarks. By comparison, 83% of Democrats, 79% of black women and 74% of black men said they were extremely or somewhat upset by Trump’s comments.
"It is just cute-talking"
Interview with woman who voted for Trump at a Trump-Rally
For Democrats and Trump opponents, the comments activated opposition: outrage at Trump’s comments about women is the #1 reason people gave for taking action after the election, stronger than political ideology or the belief that the country would be better off under female leadership.
Perryundem data
Is Sexism a Problem
Key Points Data
- Only 15% of Republican women say they think sexism is a “big” problem (compared to 45% of Democratic women)..
- Republicans were half as likely as Democrats to say they felt unequal in society because of their gender (50% of Democratic women said they felt unequal, compared to 26% of Republicans)
- Republican women are twice as likely to say that many women interpret innocent remarks as sexist.
- Nearly half (49%) of women who voted for Trump say they had never felt unequal in society for any reason, and 39% of women who voted for Trump said that there were as many or more women in positions of power in society as men (only 17% of women who voted for Clinton agreed).
- 25% of female Trump voters say men simply make better political leaders
- 34% of female Trump voters disagree that the country would be better with more women in office
Perryundem data
Do You Feel Unequal
Republican women have a profoundly different experience and perception of sexism than Democratic and Independent women do. Only 15% of Republican women say they think sexism is a “big” problem (compared to 45% of Democratic women). Republicans were half as likely as Democrats to say they felt unequal in society because of their gender (50% of Democratic women said they felt unequal, compared to 26% of Republicans) and twice as likely to say that many women interpret innocent remarks as sexist. Nearly half (49%) of women who voted for Trump say they had never felt unequal in society for any reason, and 39% of women who voted for Trump said that there were as many or more women in positions of power in society as men (only 17% of women who voted for Clinton agreed.) A quarter of female Trump voters say men simply make better political leaders, while 34% of female Trump voters disagree that the country would be better with more women in office.
