You’ve seen the headlines. Honestly, at this point, it feels like everyone has an opinion on Donald Trump’s remarks about women. Some people see them as a series of unforgivable slights, while others view them as just "Trump being Trump"—the blunt, unfiltered talk of a billionaire who doesn't care about being "politically correct." But if we actually look at the timeline, the story is way more complicated than just a few viral clips from a campaign bus.
It’s not just about the insults. It's about a decades-long history of public comments that range from high-level praise to deeply personal attacks. From the boardrooms of the 80s to the White House in 2025, his rhetoric has shaped how an entire generation views gender in politics.
The Tape That Almost Ended a Campaign
Most people start the conversation with the 2005 Access Hollywood tape. You remember the one. It leaked in October 2016, just weeks before the election, and featured Trump bragging to Billy Bush about how his celebrity status allowed him to do basically whatever he wanted to women. He used some pretty graphic language, specifically the phrase "grab them by the pussy," which became an instant lightning rod.
The fallout was massive. People thought his campaign was done. Dead in the water. But Trump dismissed it as "locker room talk." He apologized, sure, but he also quickly pivoted to attacking Bill Clinton’s past. It was a classic Trump move: absorb the blow, deflect, and hit back harder. Surprisingly, it didn't sink him. He went on to win about 42% of the female vote in 2016, a number that left many pollsters scratching their heads.
Why the "Nasty Woman" Label Backfired
Then there was the 2016 debate stage. During a heated exchange with Hillary Clinton, Trump leaned into his microphone and muttered, "Such a nasty woman."
He probably meant it as a throwaway insult. Instead, it became a rallying cry. Within hours, "Nasty Woman" was on T-shirts, tote bags, and protest signs. It was a fascinating moment where an intended slur was reclaimed as a badge of honor by his critics. But Trump didn't stop there. Over the years, he’s used similar language for other female politicians, calling them "low IQ," "crazed," or "vitriolic."
Think about his comments on Carly Fiorina during the GOP primaries: "Look at that face. Would anyone vote for that?" Or his long-standing feud with Rosie O'Donnell, whom he called a "fat pig" and "degenerate" on multiple occasions. For Trump, the personal and the political are usually the same thing.
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The Legal Battles and E. Jean Carroll
Fast forward a bit, and the remarks moved from the campaign trail to the courtroom. The E. Jean Carroll case is probably the most significant legal example of how his words have real-world consequences.
Carroll, a former Elle columnist, accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the 1990s. Trump’s response? He said she wasn't his "type" and called her a "nut job" who was making up stories to sell a book.
A jury in Manhattan didn't buy it. In 2023 and early 2024, they found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation. He was ordered to pay a staggering $88.3 million in total damages—largely because he wouldn't stop making derogatory remarks about her even after the initial verdict. It was a rare moment where his rhetoric hit his bank account. Hard.
The "Protector" of Women in 2024 and 2025
By the time the 2024 election rolled around, Trump’s strategy shifted. He started calling himself the "protector" of women. During a rally in Gastonia, North Carolina, he told the crowd he would protect women "whether they like it or not."
It’s a different vibe, right? Less "locker room talk" and more "paternalistic guardian." He’s leaned heavily into the idea that women are safer under his leadership, focusing on things like:
- Crime and the border: Arguing that his policies keep neighborhoods safe for mothers and daughters.
- Title IX and Sports: He’s been very vocal about "protecting" women’s sports by banning transgender women from competing.
- Economic empowerment: Pointing to his 2019 Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative as proof that he cares about women’s success.
In March 2025, he issued a proclamation for Women’s History Month that doubled down on these themes. He praised female "trailblazers" in his administration but also explicitly stated that his government would no longer promote what he called "radical ideologies" regarding gender.
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The Polls vs. The Rhetoric
So, does any of this actually move the needle with voters?
According to data from the 2024 election cycle, the gender gap remained wide, but it wasn't a total washout. While a majority of women still lean Democratic, Trump maintained a solid base of support among white, working-class, and evangelical women.
Research from groups like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and academic studies out of places like Cambridge University suggest that many women who vote for Trump aren't "overlooking" his remarks—they simply prioritize other things. They might care more about inflation, school choice, or border security than a comment he made on a bus twenty years ago. Others actually agree with his more recent rhetoric on traditional gender roles.
What Most People Miss
Here is the thing. People often try to paint Trump as either a total misogynist or a champion of women. The reality is usually stuck somewhere in the middle.
He has a long history of hiring women for high-level positions in the Trump Organization—long before it was common in the construction industry. He’s praised figures like Linda McMahon and his daughter Ivanka as "titans." But he also has an undeniable pattern of using physical appearance and temperament as a weapon against women who oppose him.
Actionable Insights: Navigating the Rhetoric
If you're trying to make sense of all this, here are a few ways to cut through the noise:
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1. Check the context. When a new quote goes viral, look at the full transcript. Trump often uses hyperbole and "joking" as a shield. Understanding whether a comment was a scripted policy statement or an off-the-cuff rally remark matters.
2. Follow the policy, not just the posts. It’s easy to get distracted by Truth Social posts. But looking at executive orders—like the 2025 order on "Restoring Biological Truth"—gives you a much clearer picture of how his views on gender actually affect the law.
3. Look at the legal precedents. The E. Jean Carroll verdicts are legally significant because they established that a President (or former President) can be held liable for defamatory remarks made while in office or on the campaign trail. This changed the rules for how political figures talk about accusers.
4. Understand the "Protector" shift. Recognize that his recent language is a calculated shift to appeal to suburban women concerned about safety and traditional values. Whether it works or not depends on who you ask, but it’s a deliberate pivot from the 2016 era.
At the end of the day, Donald Trump’s remarks about women are a mirror of the cultural divide in America. To some, they are a refreshing break from "woke" culture; to others, they are a step backward for civil discourse. Understanding both sides is the only way to get the full picture.
Start by looking at the official White House archives for his 2025 proclamations and compare them to his 2016 campaign speeches. You’ll see exactly how the language has evolved—and how it hasn’t.