“Republican Women Have Had Enough” Trump Faces Internal Trouble As Group Plans To Sink His Chances
A recent report has revealed that in the heart of suburban Philadelphia, a quiet revolution is brewing among some Republican women who have grown increasingly disillusioned with former President Donald Trump.
According to a report by AP News on Saturday, June 22, 2024, the conservative group Women4Us is at the forefront of this movement, aiming to mobilize suburban women and sway GOP voters away from Trump in the upcoming presidential election.
Stephanie Sharp, a leading figure in Women4Us, highlighted the notable performance of former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley in a four-county suburban Philadelphia bloc during the April Republican presidential primary.
The outlet noted that Haley received 22% of the vote, amounting to 42,032 votes, even after suspending her campaign six weeks earlier. This significant protest vote against Trump has emboldened Women4Us to expand their outreach efforts in key battleground states, including Pennsylvania.
“Pennsylvania’s closed Republican primary demonstrated an appetite for something better,” said Sharp. “Republican women have had enough of our votes being taken for granted.” President Joe Biden is also targeting critical political battlegrounds in Philadelphia, where he secured substantial support from suburban women, helping him flip Pennsylvania from Trump in 2020.
Biden and his allies are now striving to replicate this success by appealing to suburban women, including a small number of Republican women who may be opposed to a second Trump presidency. However, interviews conducted in Pennsylvania’s Bucks County reveal a complex picture, with many traditional Republicans still hesitant to abandon Trump.
Lynn Natale, a 62-year-old interior designer, expressed this sentiment succinctly. “I feel like I have to vote for the policies, not the person,” she said, seemingly criticizing Trump’s rhetorical style but supporting his economic and immigration policies. “It’s like he doesn’t have the words to speak directly to women,” she reportedly said.
She added, “The alternative is unacceptable.” In Biden’s Bucks County campaign office, a dozen volunteers gathered on a sunny Saturday afternoon, ready to canvass politically mixed neighborhoods around Doylestown. Their goal was to engage registered Republican voters and unaffiliated individuals about the issues that mattered most to them. This grassroots effort highlights the intense competition for suburban votes.
While the Biden campaign focuses on mixed and Republican-leaning areas, conservative groups like Women4Us and Republican Voters Against Trump are mobilizing in suburban Philadelphia with the aim of peeling off GOP voters. However, Trump’s team remains confident that issues such as inflation and illegal immigration will resonate with suburban women, drawing them back to the former president.
“President Trump is speaking to women when he discusses the sky-high cost of rent, groceries, and gas in Biden’s America,” said Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s national press secretary. “President Trump is speaking to women when he talks about the migrant crime that has ravaged suburban communities.”
According to AP VoteCast, about 6 in 10 suburban women in Pennsylvania voted for Biden in 2020, while 4 in 10 supported Trump. This year, however, many suburban women are dissatisfied with the prospect of a rematch, mirroring a broader national sentiment. Inflation remains the top concern for these voters.
Terry Sykes, owner of a boutique and spa along Newtown’s quaint State Street, emphasized the importance of the local economy. She credited Trump’s administration with economic prosperity, describing it as “like turning on a light switch.” Despite Trump’s controversial personality, Sykes believes his policies are beneficial.
“To be clear, all of Trump’s policy positions support how I live my life,” she said. “I mean, he is who he is. And women need to get over it. Because it’s all about the policy and the health of our economy.” Not all suburban women share this perspective. Anusha Bela, a 40-year-old sports business consultant, had been a strong Biden supporter but grew disillusioned with his administration’s response to the violence in Gaza.
“And would I prefer someone younger? Yes. Would I prefer someone who seems to have newer ideas? Yes,” she said. “But Trump is a danger to democracy.” This diverse range of opinions among suburban women sheds light on the complexities facing both parties as they vie for these crucial voters.
