de·hu·man·i·za·tion /ˌdēˌ(h)yo͞omənəˈzāSH(ə)n/
the denial of full humanness in others and the cruelty and suffering that accompanies it; the viewing and treatment of other persons as though they lack the mental capacities that are commonly attributed to human beings
On the Howard Stern Show in 2004, Trump conceded to and agreed with Stern’s objectification of Ivanka Trump as a “piece of ass.” In 2006, when being interviewed on The View, Trump was asked how he’d react if Ivanka posed for Playboy magazine and he responded by saying: “It would be really disappointing — not really — but it would depend on what’s inside the magazine […] I don’t think Ivanka would do that, although she does have a very nice figure.
I’ve said if Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her.
Now normally I would allow this kind of dialogue to speak for itself, but since many people don’t seem to recognize the blatant disrespect shown for females here, I’d like to dedicate some time to pointing it out. Tell me, Trump supporters, what part of Trump calling his daughter a piece of ass that he might date would you like to defend or make excuses for, and how so? Is it the part where he exposes himself as incapable of showing fatherly love and establishing healthy boundaries and high expectations for his daughter? Or was it the part where he strips her of her humanity and refers to her as nothing more than a tool of sexual appeal to be used by men?
Now maybe you’re thinking, well none of us are perfect parents… but at least he loves his wife. In 2005, Trump was asked if he would stay with Melania if she was disfigured in a car accident. His response?
How do the breasts look?
Let me also recognize that the aforementioned examples are merely two in a multitude of dehumanizing and misogynistic comments Trump has made towards women. The objectification has run rampant for decades, and has been directed at any number of women. Below are only some of the many verbal assaults he has made on females.
On Paris Hilton
“Now, somebody who a lot of people don’t give credit to but in actuality is really beautiful is Paris Hilton. I’ve known Paris Hilton from the time she was 12, her parents are friends of mine, and the first time I saw her she walked into the room and I said, ‘Who the hell is that?'” 2003
On Lindsay Lohan
“What do you think of Lindsay Lohan? There’s something there, right? But you have to like freckles. I’ve seen a close-up of her chest. And a lot of freckles. Are you into freckles? … She’s probably deeply troubled, and therefore great in bed. How come the deeply troubled women — deeply, deeply troubled — they’re always the best in bed?” 2004
On Nancy O’Dell
“I moved on her actually. You know she was down on Palm Beach. I moved on her and I failed. I’ll admit it. I did try and f-ck her. She was married.” 2005
“I’ve got to use some Tic Tacs, just in case I start kissing her. You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything … Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.” 2005
On Rosie O’Donnell
“We’re all a little chubby but Rosie’s just worse than most of us. But it’s not the chubbiness — Rosie is a very unattractive person, both inside and out.” 2006
On Angelina Jolie
“I really understand beauty. And I will tell you, she’s not — I do own Miss Universe. I do own Miss USA. I mean I own a lot of different things. I do understand beauty, and she’s not.” October 2007
On Cher
“Cher is somewhat of a loser. She’s lonely. She’s unhappy. She’s very miserable.” May 2012
“I promise not to talk about your massive plastic surgeries that didn’t work.” November 2012
To a Contestant on The Apprentice
“That must be a pretty picture, you dropping to your knees.” 2013
“26,000 unreported sexual assaults in the military — only 238 convictions. What did these geniuses expect when they put men and women together?” May 2013
On Carly Fiorina
“Look at that face. Would anybody vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president? I mean, she’s a woman, and I’m not supposed to say bad things, but really, folks, come on. Are we serious?” September 2015
On the “Me Too” Movement
“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.” 2018
“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.” 2018
“Nobody has more respect for women than I do. Nobody. Nobody has more respect.” 2016
Women, if you find yourself reasoning, justifying or agreeing with the above insults, I would like to ask you the following question: when did systemic misogyny overpower your own sense of self-respect? The following comments were pathetically hurled by Donald Trump at the female collective. We, as women, are complex human beings. We are intelligent, we are important, we are powerful. We are more than an object that is given its worth from men based on our genetic alignment with cultural standards of beauty (which, by the way, were determined by men).
I have two nieces that turned 2 years old this summer, and another that was born in July. It scares me to know that they live in a country that, even in the year 2020, is led by a man who openly perpetuates their dehumanization and eventual objectification. But what scares me more is that, rather than being outraged by this (much less concerned), people plan to reinforce this sexist man’s leadership in November.
We must not become desensitized to this treatment of women. We must demand change. The recognition of women as complex human beings is on the ballot this fall. How will you use your voice?
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