The following piece is an opinion and does not reflect the views of The Eagle and its staff. All opinions are edited for grammar, style and argument structure and fact-checked, but the opinions are the writer’s own.
At least 27 women have openly accused President Donald Trump of sexual misconduct, from nonconsensual, forcible kissing and groping to alleged rape. This is a well-known and widely accepted fact.
Since Trump started his second term in January, he has systematically dismantled protections of reproductive healthcare, which includes but is not limited to abortion. From blocking access to contraceptives and medical equipment that help people to avoid abortion in the first place, to halting anti-discrimination protections, Trump’s anti-women talking points and behavior have culminated in a full-on systemic attack against them.
The world looked on at the 2005 footage of him saying women would let him grab them “by the p----” because of his fame, and the nation voted for him anyway. It feels almost unnecessary to include these occurrences. A jury found him liable for sexual misconduct against E. Jean Carroll — not considered rape by the jury at the time, but said to be so by the victim. Those who care to know Trump’s heinous pattern of behavior have all the power to find out and judge him accordingly.
Leading up to the 2024 election, 83 percent of Trump supporters polled by the Pew Research Center agreed that the criminal justice system in the United States is “generally not tough enough on criminals.”
What is the point of a system of law and order that these Trumpist conservatives claim to advocate for if not to hold such actions accountable? This question stirs up an endless, seemingly unanswerable debate in my mind over whether Trump’s supporters have any values at all, aside from that women and our allies, along with anyone else who doesn’t fit their standard of identity, are objectifiable and expendable.
My first instinct has always been to believe and sympathize with women when they have been brave enough in the first place to speak out about being violated by a man. It is rare to find a woman who has not been violated in such a way. Even more so, speaking out against a man with a lifetime of power and wealth like Trump takes even more bravery, despite the insults thrown at his accusers. Trump and his supporters imply these accusations have been for attention or even fame, rather than an attempt to hold the leader of the so-called free world accountable for his violence against women.
Trump’s newest policies have the potential to strip workplace protections from millions of women, particularly those who are federal contract workers, by rescinding previous anti-discrimination orders. At the very beginning of his second term, he rescinded Executive Order 11246, which disallowed federal contractors from discriminating based on various identities, namely gender and race, and pushed for employers to work toward equal employment opportunity. These policy choices disproportionately harm working-class women and women of color, and increase their economic vulnerability in an already difficult economic period.
During his second term, Trump fired key leaders from the National Labor Relations Board and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, agencies that play a critical role in protecting workers from discrimination, exploitation and abuse. As Trump intended, his shake-up significantly weakened support systems for employees facing inadequate conditions or discrimination because of race or gender at work.
The purpose of pointing out these parallels between Trump’s words and his actions is not to instill fear. I increasingly understand that the mixed feelings of powerlessness and fear do nothing but crush motivation to keep fighting against an ever-obvious authoritarian, anti-women regime.
Rather, the correlation between words and actions of powerful figures should serve as a reminder of the dangers we open ourselves up to as students by not recognizing that words matter and clearly match up with policy and systemic change against vulnerable groups.
As students, whether your major is political science, journalism or even a field seemingly untouched by politics, it is of utmost importance for the present moment and the future to acknowledge these similarities. This clear violation of women’s bodies, as well as a disrespect for women and their autonomy, bleeds into the political futures of all people in the United States, women or not.
We all benefit from the protection and success of women in this country. Women who can live what they consider to be a good quality of life can contribute to our country at a much more substantial level. So, we must not ignore the links between the president’s very explicit behavioral and rhetorical patterns in violation of women.
The corniness of saying “we are the future of this country” is not lost on me. Yet, as a student body at the very center of Trump’s political storm in D.C., it feels all the more true. This idea that we have the power and knowledge to change the present and future is critical to recognize when we have a president who continually threatens the economic security and livelihoods of women across intersecting identities.
While it is easy to feel powerless and hopeless under such circumstances, as students and future leaders, it is our responsibility to acknowledge how dangerous it is to continue allowing people who clearly exhibit anti-women thought and action to rise to power.
Without quick and systemic recognition of this fact, hopefully enacted by Democrats with what little power they currently have, we are at risk of falling into a cycle of further normalizing deviance of politicians away from just, compassionate policy and behavior. Whether we like it or not, this is bound to happen if Trump’s efforts against women remain unchecked, and it is the job of young and powerful people alike to stop it from happening before it’s too late.
Quinn Volpe is a senior in the School of Communication and Kogod School of Business and the managing opinion editor for The Eagle.
This article was edited by Alana Parker and Walker Whalen. Copy editing done by Sabine Kanter-Huchting, Ariana Kavoossi and Emma Brown.
