Donald Trump has made seemingly offensive comments about women in the past, including sexist jokes and comments about how irresistible he believes women to find him. Trump’s general attitude towards women can be a bit questionable, but up until this past week, it has not really impacted his success in the presidential race (other comments he has made certainly have though). Is Donald Trump really a misogynistic pig or his attitude all a part of an act to gain more attention, whether that attention be positive or negative.

As of Friday, October 14, 2016, four women have come forward to make actual sexual assault allegations against Donald Trump ranging from the 1990s to present day. Multiple other women, many of whom were Miss America or Miss Universe candidates, accused Trump of making lude comments towards them, but not actually physically assaulting them. Trump has been known to make sexist comments and it seems a part of his personality to be known as a “ladies man” who charms all he meets. Did Trump go too far with the women who have accused him of assaulting them? No one really knows what happened between Donald Trump and those women, but one cannot help but wonder if sabotage is in play. Presidential races have become quite aggressive in the past and it is entirely possible that these sexual allegations are only a ploy to make Trump lose the election, still must be taken seriously.

Should sexual assault allegations impact whether a president is elected or not? The answer, at least for me, is 100% yes because how a president handles his personal life gives an indication of how he or she will handle public issues as a leader. On the other hand, the truth to these allegations, or rather lack of truth if the allegations are for media attention only, could greatly impact a presidential candidate’s future. The victims of sexual assault cases should always be believed because of the gravity of their situations, but occasionally allegations are made against those in the public eye for the sake of gaining fame. Although I personally want to believe the victims in the Trump sexual assault scandal, the cynical part of my brain cannot help but wonder if it is all for attention and meant to take the Trump campaign down for good; these allegations have come out just a few short weeks before the presidential election so I am a bit skeptical.

Were women likely to vote for Donald Trump before these allegations came out? Yes, depending upon the political party they belonged to. Will women still vote for Donald Trump despite recent developments? If Republican women truly stand for Republican values, I believe they will still vote for Trump because they would not want to see a person who is so anti-Republican, such as Hillary Clinton, win the election. Men should not be left out of this discussion; many issues seem to be made out to be sexist issues, but the fact of the matter is that if a person, whether man or woman, is a true supporter of Donald Trump, they will still vote for him in the election because they believe he is the best person for the job. Other voters may use these allegations against Trump as an excuse not to vote for him or not to vote at all. Whether or not Donald Trump will lose the female vote in the upcoming election will have to be determined on November 8. Good luck voters, may you make the right choice (if there even is one…’Merica- am I right?) for yourselves and your country.