Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

KPBS Midday Edition Segments

In California, Suburban White Women Are Turning Away From Trump

 October 23, 2020 at 11:56 AM PDT

Speaker 1: 00:00 In the waning days of the campaign, president Donald Trump is openly courting, a crucial group of voters, suburban women, but polls show those voters are pulling away from the president. [inaudible] Katie or reports at a recent rally in Pennsylvania. President Trump appealed directly to the voting block. He knows he needs Speaker 2: 00:22 Suburban women. When you please like me, I saved your damn neighborhood. Okay. Speaker 1: 00:28 Trump's referring to dismantling an Obama era. Federal housing rule meant to decrease segregation. It's not an argument that wins over Bonnie Keller. The 64 year old Fresno woman says she's Christian and leans Republican, but Trump's crude. Demeanor turns her off. She didn't vote for him in 2016 and won't vote for him. Now, I just wasn't impressed from the get-go. That is just my complete taste of his behavior. It is not professional in my book. He is not a leader who has qualities I respect and admire. Keller's views are shared by a majority of women in the country. A recent national poll conducted for ABC and the Washington post found among women likely voters, 59% support Democrat Joe Biden. That result includes 62% support for Biden amongst suburban women. Other polls find similar gender gaps. The polling is showing that Trump is losing support among women period. Speaker 1: 01:31 Mindy Romero directs the center for inclusive democracy at USC. She points out the political makeup of suburbs varies depending on which part of the country they're in. And she says, while California certainly leans more liberal women in general seem turned off by Trump, particularly when it comes to his demeanor. Some of the things that he said, uh, the actions you've taken with regard to the coronavirus with, you know, racially. Yeah. But Trump thinks he's tapped into what women voters are looking for. And at the end of the day, he thinks that could overshadow any issues they have with his behavior. Speaker 2: 02:06 So why is it that the victors keep saying that women aren't going to like Trump? I think, you know what women want more than anything else. They want safety security, and they want to be able to have the houses Speaker 1: 02:19 That message resonates with Chico resident, Jenny Schaefer, she's 56 and lives alone. She says Trump is a narcissist and drives her crazy. But she's also worried about her safety and is planning to get a concealed carry permit. When it comes to policies and stuff. I don't want someone taking my guns away as a woman. That's my only equalizer. And I think Biden and Harris will take that away. For me. Shaffer is also strongly. Anti-abortion another policy she aligns with Trump on. So while she doesn't like his tweets or the things he says, she'll likely vote to give him a second term. And as the election draws closer, Trump is hoping there are more women like her who back his policies, if not his personality, I'm Katie or in Sacramento, Speaker 3: 03:12 [inaudible].

A September poll from the Public Policy Institute of California found that 65% of likely women voters support Democrat Joe Biden.
KPBS Midday Edition Segments