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| Abandoning Donald Trump and, for Some Women, the G.O.P., Too | Abandoning Donald Trump and, for Some Women, the G.O.P., Too |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Donald J. Trump has polarized men and women, with the sexes parting ways to such a degree that Election Day could produce the biggest gender gap in decades. | Donald J. Trump has polarized men and women, with the sexes parting ways to such a degree that Election Day could produce the biggest gender gap in decades. |
| And now that division is being amplified by a gender war in the Republican Party itself. Men and women are taking sides over accusations of Mr. Trump’s mistreatment of women, with the latest flash point a blistering exchange between Newt Gingrich and Megyn Kelly of Fox News. | And now that division is being amplified by a gender war in the Republican Party itself. Men and women are taking sides over accusations of Mr. Trump’s mistreatment of women, with the latest flash point a blistering exchange between Newt Gingrich and Megyn Kelly of Fox News. |
| Increasing numbers of Republican women have turned on their party’s male leaders for defending Mr. Trump against accusations that he groped or forcibly kissed more than 10 women. Many are complaining publicly that for years they stood up for the party against Democrats who accused it of pursuing a “war on women.” They are unable to do so any longer, they say, and they see hypocrisy in Republican men rallying behind Mr. Trump after the same leaders for years accused Bill Clinton of predatory behavior. | Increasing numbers of Republican women have turned on their party’s male leaders for defending Mr. Trump against accusations that he groped or forcibly kissed more than 10 women. Many are complaining publicly that for years they stood up for the party against Democrats who accused it of pursuing a “war on women.” They are unable to do so any longer, they say, and they see hypocrisy in Republican men rallying behind Mr. Trump after the same leaders for years accused Bill Clinton of predatory behavior. |
| “These are spineless men,” said Brittany Pounders, a Republican activist and political blogger from Houston. | “These are spineless men,” said Brittany Pounders, a Republican activist and political blogger from Houston. |
| The latest CBS News poll, released last week, found that Hillary Clinton held a 19 percentage point lead over Mr. Trump among women likely to vote. Among Republican women, 79 percent supported Mr. Trump. That was far below the 93 percent of Republican women who voted for Mitt Romney in 2012. | The latest CBS News poll, released last week, found that Hillary Clinton held a 19 percentage point lead over Mr. Trump among women likely to vote. Among Republican women, 79 percent supported Mr. Trump. That was far below the 93 percent of Republican women who voted for Mitt Romney in 2012. |
| With Mr. Trump favored among men by an average of seven percentage points in recent polls, this year’s gender gap — the sum difference between how men and women vote — could be the most yawning since 1952, when it was 26 points. | With Mr. Trump favored among men by an average of seven percentage points in recent polls, this year’s gender gap — the sum difference between how men and women vote — could be the most yawning since 1952, when it was 26 points. |
| Republican strategists with an expertise in reaching women are deeply anxious that Mr. Trump’s candidacy will damage the party’s ability to appeal to them for years to come. | Republican strategists with an expertise in reaching women are deeply anxious that Mr. Trump’s candidacy will damage the party’s ability to appeal to them for years to come. |
| “I think we’ll see a lot of women walk away from the party over this,” said Katie Packer, who was Mr. Romney’s deputy campaign manager. “What you’re seeing is 20 years, 30 years of frustration coming together and really, really compounded in the last couple of weeks.” | “I think we’ll see a lot of women walk away from the party over this,” said Katie Packer, who was Mr. Romney’s deputy campaign manager. “What you’re seeing is 20 years, 30 years of frustration coming together and really, really compounded in the last couple of weeks.” |
| Ms. Packer, a partner in a consulting company that specializes in reaching women on behalf of Republican candidates, said women in her party were fed up that male leaders were trying to justify “what we see as criminal behavior” by Mr. Trump toward the women who have accused him of touching them inappropriately. | Ms. Packer, a partner in a consulting company that specializes in reaching women on behalf of Republican candidates, said women in her party were fed up that male leaders were trying to justify “what we see as criminal behavior” by Mr. Trump toward the women who have accused him of touching them inappropriately. |
| “Men on our team don’t get how serious this is,” she said. “I think we’re all kind of disgusted that they don’t get that.” | “Men on our team don’t get how serious this is,” she said. “I think we’re all kind of disgusted that they don’t get that.” |
| In regions of battleground states with many college-educated Republican women, such as Northern Virginia and the Philadelphia suburbs, Mr. Trump is in perilous trouble with these voters long loyal to the party. | In regions of battleground states with many college-educated Republican women, such as Northern Virginia and the Philadelphia suburbs, Mr. Trump is in perilous trouble with these voters long loyal to the party. |
| On Tuesday night, Ms. Kelly, repeatedly a thorn in Mr. Trump’s side over his statements about women and his treatment of them, pressed Mr. Gingrich about accusations that the Republican presidential nominee had groped women and forcibly kissed them. Many of the women came forward after Mr. Trump boasted of just such behavior in a leaked recording from 2005. | On Tuesday night, Ms. Kelly, repeatedly a thorn in Mr. Trump’s side over his statements about women and his treatment of them, pressed Mr. Gingrich about accusations that the Republican presidential nominee had groped women and forcibly kissed them. Many of the women came forward after Mr. Trump boasted of just such behavior in a leaked recording from 2005. |
| “You are fascinated with sex and you don’t care about public policy,” Mr. Gingrich, the former House speaker, told Ms. Kelly. | “You are fascinated with sex and you don’t care about public policy,” Mr. Gingrich, the former House speaker, told Ms. Kelly. |
| The news anchor pushed back. “I’m not fascinated by sex, but I am fascinated by the protection of women and understanding what we’re getting in the Oval Office,” Ms. Kelly said. | The news anchor pushed back. “I’m not fascinated by sex, but I am fascinated by the protection of women and understanding what we’re getting in the Oval Office,” Ms. Kelly said. |
| As the exchange went viral, reactions on social media in many cases showed a divide between Republican men and women. “There is a hot gender war underway,” Nicolle Wallace, a White House communications director for President George W. Bush, wrote on Twitter. | As the exchange went viral, reactions on social media in many cases showed a divide between Republican men and women. “There is a hot gender war underway,” Nicolle Wallace, a White House communications director for President George W. Bush, wrote on Twitter. |
| Mr. Gingrich, many noted caustically, was a poor scold on the issue of sexual conduct, given his history of having had an affair with a young congressional aide, who became his third wife, while he was still married to wife No. 2. | |
| Mr. Trump took Mr. Gingrich’s side on Wednesday. Pointing to him at an event in Washington, Mr. Trump said: “Congratulations, Newt, on last night — that was an amazing interview. We don’t play games, Newt, right? We don’t play games.” | Mr. Trump took Mr. Gingrich’s side on Wednesday. Pointing to him at an event in Washington, Mr. Trump said: “Congratulations, Newt, on last night — that was an amazing interview. We don’t play games, Newt, right? We don’t play games.” |
| Some Republican women are now openly organizing to support Mrs. Clinton. | Some Republican women are now openly organizing to support Mrs. Clinton. |
| “Being a Republican woman is very different from being a Democratic woman,” said Jennifer Pierotti Lim, who leads a group called Republican Women for Hillary. “This sentiment that Newt Gingrich was speaking to — if you’re a woman you shouldn’t be offended by these things, you just should think about the issues — that’s pervasive.” | “Being a Republican woman is very different from being a Democratic woman,” said Jennifer Pierotti Lim, who leads a group called Republican Women for Hillary. “This sentiment that Newt Gingrich was speaking to — if you’re a woman you shouldn’t be offended by these things, you just should think about the issues — that’s pervasive.” |
| Ms. Lim, a former official at the Chamber of Commerce in Washington, helped found Republican Women for Hillary after being appalled that Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, and Representative Paul D. Ryan, the House speaker, backed Mr. Trump this spring. “I was horrified that our Republican leaders, who I looked up to, endorsed Trump in the midst of his worst comments about women,” she said. | Ms. Lim, a former official at the Chamber of Commerce in Washington, helped found Republican Women for Hillary after being appalled that Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, and Representative Paul D. Ryan, the House speaker, backed Mr. Trump this spring. “I was horrified that our Republican leaders, who I looked up to, endorsed Trump in the midst of his worst comments about women,” she said. |
| Ms. Lim spoke at the Democratic convention in July and has traveled to several states as a Clinton surrogate. Her group claims a network of 75 leaders and volunteers in nine states. She said many disenchanted Republican women were not on board with Mrs. Clinton, though they have disavowed Mr. Trump. | Ms. Lim spoke at the Democratic convention in July and has traveled to several states as a Clinton surrogate. Her group claims a network of 75 leaders and volunteers in nine states. She said many disenchanted Republican women were not on board with Mrs. Clinton, though they have disavowed Mr. Trump. |
| One of them is Wendy Lynn Day, who was pushed out of a leadership role at the Michigan Republican Party last week after refusing to endorse Mr. Trump. She criticized her party’s male leaders, saying that in past years they had proclaimed that morality and character mattered in a president, but that they were ignoring that principle when it came to Mr. Trump. | One of them is Wendy Lynn Day, who was pushed out of a leadership role at the Michigan Republican Party last week after refusing to endorse Mr. Trump. She criticized her party’s male leaders, saying that in past years they had proclaimed that morality and character mattered in a president, but that they were ignoring that principle when it came to Mr. Trump. |
| “When we stood up and voiced our concerns about Bill Clinton taking advantage of a young intern and allegedly abusing all of those women, we were standing on the moral high ground,” Ms. Day said. “We gave away some of that moral high ground by the way we treated the women who’ve come forward with allegations about Donald Trump.” | “When we stood up and voiced our concerns about Bill Clinton taking advantage of a young intern and allegedly abusing all of those women, we were standing on the moral high ground,” Ms. Day said. “We gave away some of that moral high ground by the way we treated the women who’ve come forward with allegations about Donald Trump.” |
| “When your leaders come out and make excuses and use biblical analogies to defend and promote Donald Trump,” she added, “that to me crosses a line I’m not comfortable with.” | “When your leaders come out and make excuses and use biblical analogies to defend and promote Donald Trump,” she added, “that to me crosses a line I’m not comfortable with.” |
| She said she could not vote for Mrs. Clinton. Many women in her situation, she surmised, would support a third-party candidate. Or they would stay home. | She said she could not vote for Mrs. Clinton. Many women in her situation, she surmised, would support a third-party candidate. Or they would stay home. |