Trump’s 2005 comments disgust women, but change few opinions

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Trump was already struggling with women voters, while Clinton is looking to run up her margins with them to make up for her challenges among men. Among registered voters, women were more likely than men to say they’d be afraid if Trump were elected, 60 per cent to 52 per cent, according to a recent Associated Press-GfK poll released before the tape of Trump came to light. They were more likely to say he’s not at all civil, 54 per cent to 49 per cent, or compassionate, 58 per cent to 50 per cent.

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And 51 per cent of women said they planned to vote for Clinton compared to 34 per cent for Trump.

The 2005 tape prompted a stream of elected Republicans, including Sens. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Rob Portman of Ohio, to denounce their party’s nominee. But many women voters said the tape shouldn’t have been surprising.

Debbie Manzanares, a Republican from Colorado, won’t cast a vote for Trump, but the tapes aren’t the reason.

“If anyone’s surprised,” she said. “They haven’t been listening.”

Marie Cote, of New Hampshire, is one voter who said the tape did sway her vote. Cote, 60, said she was on the fence about voting for Trump because she sees him as a “go-getter.” But she has five daughters, and Trump’s comments about grabbing and kissing women disturbed her.

“It concerns me about what their future will be like if he’s president,” she said.

Cote said she’s now leaning toward voting for Clinton but hasn’t decided, adding, “It is hard for women.” Cote said she thinks it’s fair game for Trump to link Hillary Clinton to her husband’s infidelities: “She must’ve known he was a womanizer.”

Still, some female voters said they planned to vote for Trump despite being appalled by his latest remarks. Susan Broadwell of New Hampshire, who wore a “Nobody for President” shirt as she grocery shopped, said some of Trump’s behaviour is “distressing, to say the least.” But she said Trump’s words pale in comparison to some of Clinton’s actions, particularly her response to the 2012 attack that killed four Americans in Benghazi, Libya.

Broadwell, 56, met Trump at a rally in New Hampshire earlier this year. She said she appreciates that he is the same person in public and in private.

“I’m willing to see what he can do,” she said.

But others said they’ll vote for Johnson because they dislike Clinton and Trump so deeply. Cynthia Isom of Pennsylvania said the recording reveals Trump’s true thoughts on women and that she felt he was trying to intimidate Clinton in Sunday’s debate.

“I just can’t look in the mirror and say I voted for either one of them,” she said.

Democrats like Anne Green of Pennsylvania wonder how any women could vote for Trump at this point.

“If any woman votes for Trump, they’re out of their mind, but I do know a few people who are,” she said.

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Chart the path Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton must take on the Road to 270 to reach the White House with AP’s Electoral College interactive map: http://elections.ap.org/content/road-270-0

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Associated Press writers Megan Trimble in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, Gretchen Ehlke in Milwaukee and Kristen Wyatt in Colorado Springs, Colorado, contributed to this report.

Kathleen Ronayne, The Associated Press