Navigating the labyrinth of legal battles initiated by journalist E. Jean Carroll against Donald Trump, who perpetrated sexual assault against her in the 1990s and subsequently denied it, can be perplexing. This complexity underscores why U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan’s concise statement stands out as a clarion call: Trump raped Carroll, unequivocally, as commonly understood.
In a court filing, Kaplan bluntly stated, “The fact that Mr. Trump sexually abused — indeed, raped — Ms. Carroll has been conclusively established,” thereby authorizing journalists to employ the term “rape” in discussing Trump’s actions towards Carroll in a New York department store changing room.
One might assume that Republican women, aligned with Trump, would shy away from denouncing rape. Yet, in the era of MAGA politics, Republicans have embraced shamelessness as a political tool. Consequently, Republican women often exploit sexual violence, shedding ostentatious tears over rape and gendered violence while actively harming genuine victims.
Trump (Credits: NBC News)
Senator Katie Britt, R-Ala., during her response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, recounted a sensationalized tale of a girl trafficked by cartels from the age of 12, insinuating blame on Biden’s border policies.
However, this narrative was swiftly debunked, as the incident occurred in Mexico during the Bush presidency. The victim herself, activist Karla Jacinto Romero, denounced Britt’s politicization of her trauma as unjust.
Despite being confronted about her falsehoods by a Fox News host, Britt persisted in exploiting the tragedy to stoke racist fears of migrants. This callous exploitation reflects poorly on Britt, particularly given the vulnerability of migrants to sex trafficking when denied safe harbor in the U.S.
This pattern of feigned concern, selectively wielded, worsens when it serves Trump, a figure notorious for inflicting suffering on women, both personally and politically.
Republican women, facing a backlash from female voters over issues like the erosion of reproductive rights and the endorsement of Trump, resort to fear tactics to regain support. They exploit tragedies like the murder of Laken Riley, a University of Georgia student, to fuel anti-immigrant sentiment, despite evidence showing immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than native-born individuals.
During the State of the Union, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., exploited Riley’s death for political gain, distorting the reality of her life and death to justify pre-existing animosity towards immigrants. Similarly, Representative Nancy Mace, R-S.C., resorted to deflection and victim-blaming when questioned about her support for Trump in light of rape allegations.
Such behavior reflects a callous disregard for victims and a willingness to protect and reward sexual predators like Trump. It’s evident that Republican women, despite gender assumptions, can be as cruel as their male counterparts, even when delivering harmful messages.
