Conservative pundits are in disbelief and outrage at the highly circulated video, which aimed to show women that their husbands can’t see if they vote for Kamala Harris.
Summary
A video encouraging women to vote independently for Kamala Harris sparked outrage among conservative men, who called it divisive and “amoral.” The video highlights the gender gap that has widened between Harris and Trump, with recent polls showing notable leads by Harris among women and Trump among men.
Critics like Charlie Kirk labeled it “nauseating,” criticizing the wife for lying to “her sweet husband who probably works his tail off to make sure that she can go and have a nice life and provides for the family.”
Supporters argue it reflects real tensions around women’s autonomy, especially in conservative households.
This week, the fundamentalist Christian pastor Dale Partridge argued in a series of tweets that “in a Christian marriage, a wife should vote according to her husband’s direction”. In other words, he pits his version of the religion against the constitution, which, since the 19th amendment passed a century ago, guarantees adult citizens the right to vote regardless of sex. He argues that in marriage, the husband annexes and owns his wife’s voice and rights, so that he in effect gets two votes and she gets none. The far-right preacher is not alone in this argument that women should not have the right to participate in public life and act on their views and values.
Jesse Watters, the Fox News personality, has argued that if he found out his wife “was going into the voting booth and pulling the lever for Harris, that’s the same thing as having an affair”. It violates “the sanctity of our marriage; what else is she keeping from me?” Rightwing agitator Charlie Kirk also got upset about the idea that women might vote according to their agenda and not their husband’s.