Fear and anxiety take hold for women as Donald Trump starts his second term as President - Jayne Dowle

By the end of today Donald Trump will have taken the oath of office and so his second term as President of the United States will begin.

Amongst the marching bands and fireworks, hearts will be sinking, fear and anxiety taking hold, as women across the globe begin to imagine what the next four years will bring.

When he won the election in November, the first thing my 19-year-old daughter asked me was, “do you think with Trump coming to power, contraception will end up being banned in this country?”.

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I couldn’t answer her honestly, because the truth is, who knows? If a twice-impeached convicted felon can be re-elected as leader of the free world, and be allowed to co-opt Elon Musk, the richest person in that world, to his government to oversee ‘efficiency’, anything can happen.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump with his wife Melania. PIC: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesRepublican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump with his wife Melania. PIC: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump with his wife Melania. PIC: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

The fear is real. It’s not just the big things – Trump has taken credit for the elimination of Roe v. Wade in 2022, the ruling that granted women the right to a termination up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, and rolling back abortion rights in the US.

His vow to “protect” women, whether they like it or not, broadcasts an enforced patriarchy few of us are asking for, despite the rise of the ‘tradwives’ movement in the States, which embraces traditional gender roles, housewifely devotion and no working for women outside the home.

It’s also the slights, the insults, the derogatory comments and the downright hatred.

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It’s reported that country singer Carrie Underwood will perform America the Beautiful on the steps of the US Capitol as Trump is sworn in. You can bet your last dollar that there will be no sign of global superstar Taylor Swift.

In early September last year, in the middle of her record-breaking, billions-earning Eras tour, Trump posted on his Truth Social media platform: “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” (in capitals), in response to her public support for Democrat candidate Kamala Harris.

Whilst it’s true that septuagenarian straight men, Trump is 78, are hardly Swift’s target audience, those four words summed up the fear that for so many women and girls, and not just across the Atlantic, that Trump’s victory brings. Hate is a strong word.

Only the month before, the Trump campaign had posted AI-generated images suggesting Swift endorsed Trump for President. One was an alarming visual of the singer dressed as ‘Uncle Sam’, accompanied by the words, ‘Taylor wants you to vote for Donald Trump’. There were also a series of alarming deepfakes of young women wearing ‘Swifties for Trump’ T shirts.

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This was far more than an exchange of publicity stunts. By proclaiming his ‘hate’ Trump gave agency to all the other boys and men who feel threatened by Swift’s success, and her status as an inspirational figure for girls and young women.

We shouldn’t have to be concerned really, about the personal views of the President of the United States, or how these might impact our own lives. Sadly, thanks to the reach of social media and the cult of personality politics, we can’t ignore it.

Neither can we ignore Trump’s own conduct towards women; at least 26 women have accused the re-elected President of sexual misconduct, including assault, since the 1970s. In May 2023, Trump was also found liable for sexually abusing advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, who said that Trump raped her in a department store dressing room in the mid-1990s.

Or his views on the #MeToo movement, which empowered women and girls to speak out about sexual assault and abuse.

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In 2018, according to a conversation with an un-named friend in veteran journalist Bob Woodward’s book, Fear: Trump in the White House, Trump is reported as saying: “you've got to deny, deny, deny and push back on these women. If you admit to anything and any culpability, then you're dead. …You've got to be strong. You've got to be aggressive. You've got to push back hard. You've got to deny anything that's said about you. Never admit.”

Words to send an absolute chill down the spine of any woman who has been afraid to tell anyone – including the police – that she has been the victim of sexually-motivated harm.

“It is a very scary time for young men in America, where you can be guilty of something you may not be guilty of. … Women are doing great”, Trump told reporters at the White House as he voiced his support for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, who was battling sexual misconduct claims brought by several women.

Regardless of where they live, also, words to galvanise impressionable young men in search of a role model, a world leader who validates the misogynistic preaching of Andrew Tate. If that alone doesn’t terrify you, and make you worry for your sons as well as your daughters, it really should.

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