Keller: Gender gap seems to be emerging as Trump hits 100 days
The opinions expressed below are Jon Keller's, not those of WBZ, CBS News or Paramount Global.
Although 45% of women voted for President Donald Trump, driven by concern over the economy and inflation, this year's tariff chaos is a big turn-off for female voters as Trump reaches 100 days of his second term.
Women souring on Trump
"He doesn't trust women, and they sure the hell don't trust him," said Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Walz of Donald Trump during last year's campaign, a claim that spoke to a key part of the Democratic strategy - build the biggest female backlash possible against Trump. The Democrats counted on a huge gender gap to put their ticket over the top, but didn't get it. Forty-five percent of women voted for Trump,
Now, a whopping 63% of women in a new CBS News/YouGov poll say they disapprove of President Trump's economic management.
And on his handling of inflation, a key issue in last fall's election, 66% of women say they disapprove.
Gender gap emerging
"I think this is the gender gap that everyone expected in November of 2024 that we didn't see," said Amanda Hunter, contributing editor for the academic think tank Gender On The Ballot. "It's finally showing up several months later."
But even if we're in for months of empty shelves and soaring prices as tariff skeptics predict, will the backlash of female voters still be there when they go to the polls 19 months from now?
"Women are reflective of the fact that it is an uncertain time right now in the United States," acknowledged Massachusetts GOP Chairperson Amy Carnevale. And while candidates and President Trump have spent little effort on appealing specifically to women, Carnevale and Hunter agree his future support from them will hinge on the success or failure of his policies.
Trump's first 100 days
"Arguably, this administration has accomplished a lot in the first 100 days, and I think that for the next several months, as we see the impact of some of these executive orders and some of these policy changes, we will see even more dramatic polling," said Hunter.
No doubt, the economy is the third rail of politics. Just ask Kamala Harris and Joe Biden. Or ask Trump, who was undercut by the economic collapse during the pandemic.
But Trump has a base of considerable size that's galvanized by other issues - immigration and the culture wars, for instance. The news cycle turns so fast these days, there's no way of knowing what will be driving the polls in another 100 days.
