A growing chorus of Republican women is speaking out against billionaire Mark Cuban’s recent comments that “strong, intelligent” women don’t support Donald Trump.
The backlash against Cuban comes after his appearance on ABC’s The View, where he suggested that Trump doesn’t like to be challenged by strong women.
Trump himself weighed in on the controversy, saying that Cuban is “very wrong” and that he is surrounded by strong women, including heads of countries. The former president also took a swipe at Cuban, saying that he looks like a “baby” compared to the strong women in his life.
Republican women were quick to respond to Cuban’s comments, with some calling them “misogynistic” and “disgusting.” Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas, a former top aide to Trump, said that Cuban’s remarks were “pretty funny coming from Democrats who can’t even tell you what a woman is.” Sanders, who worked for Trump for two and a half years, said that she is proud to be a strong, intelligent woman who supports the former president.
Former Sopranos star Drea de Matteo also joined the chorus of criticism, posting a video on X wearing a MAGA hat and saying that Cuban was “messing with the wrong breed of women.”
Actress Alina Habba, one of Trump’s lawyers, called Cuban’s comments “misogynistic” and touted her own career as a strong, intelligent woman.
Trump’s national press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said that Cuban’s “insulting” comments would “drive even more women to the polls.” Leavitt’s comments were echoed by other Republican women, who said that Cuban’s remarks were a clear example of sexism and misogyny.
In response to the backlash, Cuban argued that he was not suggesting that strong women don’t support Trump, but that the former president doesn’t like public pushback from females. “I’m happy to clarify that I know many strong, intelligent women voting for Trump,” he said in a statement. “Including in my extended family. I’m certainly not saying female voters are not smart, strong and intelligent.”
The controversy highlights the ongoing debate over sexism and misogyny in politics, with some arguing that Cuban’s comments were a clear example of sexism and others saying that he was simply trying to make a point about Trump’s leadership style. Whatever the case, one thing is clear: the backlash against Cuban’s comments has sparked a lively debate about the role of women in politics and the kind of language that is acceptable in public discourse.
