Beyond the gender gap: Presidential politics is a 鈥榤asculinity contest鈥�
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Ali Martin Staff writer
As early voting gets underway across the United States, one political divide has become clear: Most men prefer former President Donald Trump. Most women prefer Vice President Kamala Harris.
That gap reflects party narratives throughout this election season 鈥� with Democrats leaning into issues like abortion access and economic equality, while Republicans have evoked traditional gender roles in discussing gun violence, child care, and family planning.
This gender gap, while significant, . What this campaign underscores is Americans鈥� broader preference 鈥� beyond gender 鈥� for masculinity in the nation鈥檚 highest office.
Why We Wrote This
The gender gap in U.S. presidential politics is not new. But in this election year, the importance of projecting power has become gendered. Both candidates are wooing voters with their own brands of masculinity.
The president 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 have to necessarily be a man, but [voters are] still really liking a masculine presence at that level,鈥� says Lindsey Meeks, a University of Oklahoma professor specializing in political communication and gender.
Power projection
Trump stumper Tucker Carlson at a rally this week implicitly referred to his presidential candidate as 鈥淒ad.鈥� He聽 in which 鈥渨hen Dad comes home鈥� he deals with his misbehaving children 鈥� implicitly the Democrats: 鈥淵ou鈥檝e been a bad little girl, and you鈥檙e getting a vigorous spanking.鈥� It capped a campaign laden with hypermasculine images. From appearances with pro wrestlers to frequent use of aggressive language 鈥� including a recent vulgar to the late golf legend Arnold Palmer鈥檚 anatomy 鈥� former President Trump has consistently connected with male voters who value a certain type of crude masculine power figure. And Friday he is set to record an interview with Joe Rogan, the podcaster 聽with young male audiences, .
Ms. Harris is walking a finer line, attempting to appeal to men while keeping her base among women. Her choice of Tim Walz as a running mate brought some balance to her femininity. But she鈥檚 also played up her more masculine qualities 鈥� as California鈥檚 鈥渢op cop鈥� and as a gun owner. And, this week, former President Barack Obama rallied supporters on her behalf in Detroit alongside rapper Eminem, making a pointed appeal to young men to support the Democratic candidate.
Projecting strength is trickier for women, says , who conducts polling for Fairleigh Dickinson University. 鈥淔emale candidates have to be masculine, but not too masculine, and feminine, but not too feminine. Whereas masculine male candidates just have to be masculine.鈥�
Recent polling he has conducted illustrates those differences: Among registered voters, 41% say Mr. Trump is Of that share, 84% say they鈥檙e going to vote for him. Some 54% say Ms. Harris expresses some degree of masculinity.
鈥淎lmost every election is, in fact, a masculinity contest. We just don鈥檛 see it because it鈥檚 [been] just two men,鈥� he says. 鈥淭o be taken seriously as a potential leader, you have to show masculine traits.鈥�
Bold lines along the gender divide
The division along gender lines is stark: In a , 51% of men and 43% of women lean toward supporting Mr. Trump. Ms. Harris has the mirror image of that support 鈥� 52% of women and 43% of men prefer her candidacy.
some voters believe those candidates鈥� policies would benefit their corresponding gender 鈥� and harm the other. Among registered voters, nearly half say a Harris presidency would help women, while 36% believe it would make things worse for men; 45% say a Trump win would make things better for men, and 46% say it would be worse for women.
Pew Research Center
This polarity reflects ways in which the two political parties have solicited support for their respective platforms: Republicans have doubled down on gender stereotypes, while Democrats, until recently, have centered their messaging on issues important to women and racial minorities.
Lost in this political gambit, say some experts, are the real needs of contemporary men and boys.
鈥淭he main sound on issues of boys and men from the Democrats until very, very recently in the race has been the sound of silence,鈥� says , founder and president of the American Institute of Boys and Men. 鈥淲hereas on the Republican side, there鈥檚 been a lot of talk and a lot of performance.鈥�
Both parties are treating gender issues as a zero-sum game, says Mr. Reeves, adding, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 good in the long run to have a men鈥檚 party and a women鈥檚 party. I think we do have to rise together.鈥�
A large draw for women to the Harris ticket has been the Democratic position on abortion access and other fertility-related options, says Dr. Meeks. Men tend to be more hawkish than women on defense and international relations 鈥� and they鈥檙e more likely to be threatened by a Harris-Walz ticket that inverts historical gender norms. She adds, 鈥淵ou could see any of those levers pushing [men] towards Trump over Harris.鈥�
Changes for men, and the politics of empowerment
That鈥檚 not to say all men 鈥� or women who depend on male success for their economic security 鈥� don鈥檛 support women鈥檚 issues. But the rise of women鈥檚 earnings and subsequent choices in recent years has made men for women, say experts.
鈥淭hat is an amazing economic liberation and exactly what the women鈥檚 movement was about in that way,鈥� says Mr. Reeves. But this liberation for women has presented a difficult transition for men, who face their own issues, including higher suicide rates and lower high school graduation rates than women, and other pressures related to working and making money.
Republicans have tailored their messaging to acknowledge men in ways that Democrats have not, says Mr. Reeves. 鈥淭he basic underlying [Republican] message is 鈥榃e are guys. We like guys. And we like the things that guys like.鈥� And so that鈥檚 a strong cultural message from the right.鈥�
But the contrasting messages around gender may have eroded the party鈥檚 stronghold among Black men, while another reliably Democratic bloc 鈥� 鈥� is also shifting toward Mr. Trump. With the presidential race in a statistical dead heat, every vote matters. And the Harris camp is working to broaden its appeal 鈥� ramping up its pitch to men while continuing to double down on issues that appeal to its current base, like abortion and equality.
鈥淭he Harris campaign is trying to talk to men around issues of the economy, talking about small businesses, talking about the kind of an economy of opportunity,鈥� says , director of the Center for American Women in Politics at Rutgers University. 鈥淏ut they鈥檙e also very much hoarding that women鈥檚 vote. I think there鈥檚 no question that they鈥檝e read the memo that women voters really matter.鈥�
Indeed, more women than men tend to vote. In the 2020 election, it was 听尘辞谤别.
At the same time, says Mr. Reeves, 鈥淩epublicans are doubling down on their identity as the men鈥檚 party, and [Republicans and Democrats] are just hoping to turn out enough on their side to counteract the loss.鈥�
