This is an adapted excerpt from the Aug. 29 episode of "Alex Wagner Tonight."
Just one month before Election Day in 2016, the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape was leaked. It was a shocking and despicable 70-second video that will surely have its own wing in the future Donald J. Trump Museum of Sexism.
In the wake of that offensive “hot mic” audio, panicked talks ensued to replace Trump at the top of the Republican ticket. At that moment, the GOP had the chance to do the right thing and replace him as the nominee. But, of course, that didn’t happen and he eventually became the president of the United States.
At that moment, the GOP had the chance to do the right thing and replace him as the nominee. But, of course, that didn’t happen.
This turn of events sent a very depressing reminder to women across America: Even someone as lewd and misogynistic as Trump can rise to the highest office in our country. In other words, sexism is acceptable.
Now, in 2024, Trump is once again running for president; his opponent is, once again, a woman; and his gross sexism is, once again, in overdrive and on full display.
On Wednesday, Trump went on a Truth Social rampage, reposting QAnon slogans, altered images and calls to jail his political rivals. In a period of just 30 minutes, he reposted 30 times … and I’m supposed to believe women are the emotional ones?
In the midst of this vomitous social media spew, Trump reposted a photo of arguably the two most accomplished female politicians in America, Hillary Clinton and Vice President Kamala Harris. The photo was accompanied by a caption that is almost unspeakably vile, suggesting that the vice president of the United States slept her way to the top. A Trump campaign senior adviser laughably tried defending the former president by suggesting that Trump had not read the caption.
We have the chance to show that in America, sexism will not be tolerated.
But that’s only just the latest example of Trump’s sexism in this election cycle. He and his supporters have been making gender-based attacks on Harris for weeks now.
Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly also suggested Harris “slept her way to the top.” In an interview on Fox News in July, Trump told Laura Ingraham that world leaders would treat Harris “like a play toy.” Another Fox News host, Jesse Watters, asked if voters would “gamble the country away on a frightened woman.” In a separate appearance, Watters also remarked that, if elected, generals would “have their way” with Harris.
All of that is in addition to the racist attacks Trump and Fox News have made about Harris’ mixed-race identity, including calling her a “DEI hire.” There’s also the fact that just last year, a jury of Trump’s peers found him liable for the sexual abuse of columnist E. Jean Carroll.
We have a chance to redo that moment from 2016. Back then, despite Trump’s sexism and misogyny, he still became president. But now in 2024, we have the chance to show that in America sexism will not be tolerated. It’s time for us to show we’re better than that. We’re better than Trump.