“Why Do Women Keep Turning on Trump?”

Rant from Mikel Boone

I’ve been turning this over in my mind a lot recently. I’m a 50+ year old man, and I’ve watched the twists and turns of American politics over the years. One thing that stands out to me is how so many women who were once solidly behind Donald Trump have, over time, turned on him. Some of them were close allies, strong defenders of his policies and character, but eventually, the truth about him became undeniable.

Take Marjorie Taylor Greene. Here’s a woman who was practically a megaphone for Trump’s rhetoric in the House, echoing his every word, trying to ride his coattails to the top. But even she’s been walking a fine line lately. As his legal troubles piled up and the political landscape shifted, it became clear that aligning too closely with him might be more of a liability than an asset. Greene’s been moving to distance herself from Trump when it’s politically necessary. It’s the same pattern we’ve seen with other women in his orbit when things get too hot, they jump ship, but when they think they can ride the wave, they hop back on.

Then there’s Kellyanne Conway. She was with Trump from the beginning, right there by his side when he first ran for president. She was a trailblazer, a woman who held her ground in a male-dominated political world, defending Trump against all comers. But eventually, she stepped away, just like so many others have. It wasn’t just the pressure though there was plenty of that it was the toll it took on her personal life, especially with her husband, George Conway, who was a vocal critic of Trump. At some point, even the most loyal Trump supporters realize the cost of sticking with him, and for some women, that cost was too high.

One name that really stands out to me is Susie Wiles. Wiles was one of Trump’s top political advisers, playing a key role in his 2016 campaign and later in 2020. She was no stranger to the hardball tactics of American politics and was instrumental in helping Trump secure critical victories. But in the end, even she walked away. It wasn’t just that her work with Trump was increasingly under the microscope there were also reports that her departure from Trump’s orbit was tied to the chaos and dysfunction within his campaign and his broader political operation. Wiles, like many others, ultimately realized that the long-term damage to her reputation wasn’t worth sticking around for. She, too, had to reckon with the reality of what supporting Trump truly meant, especially as the legal and ethical controversies surrounding him continued to pile up.

And let’s not forget about his Chief of Staff, who was once part of his inner circle but ultimately had to distance herself from the president when things turned sour. There was once a time when Trump’s administration was full of women who were given significant influence, but as his behavior became harder to ignore, the ranks thinned out. Women like Conway and Wiles found themselves in an increasingly untenable position.

And, of course, Trump’s history with women is hard to ignore. The accusations of sexual misconduct, harassment, and assault have followed him for years. Women like Stormy Daniels and E. Jean Carroll came forward with their stories, adding to the mountain of controversy that seemed to dog him at every turn. These charges and the way Trump treated women throughout his career are a major factor in why so many women have backed away from him. It’s one thing to defend him when you’re a political ally, but when you have to face the reality of what his behavior says about him as a man and what it means for your own credibility it becomes harder to stand by him.

Sure, there were women who stuck with him for a while, especially during his time in office. But the longer the scandals persisted, the harder it became to keep that facade up. Women in politics, especially those who rise to the top, are held to a different standard. They can’t afford to ignore the damage to their own reputation that can come from defending someone with as much baggage as Trump.

And let’s not forget his own family, especially Melania Trump. She’s kept a relatively low profile throughout all of this, but you can’t ignore the signals that even she’s had to distance herself from the chaos. It’s not just about politics when you’re married to someone who’s facing repeated accusations of sexual assault and harassment, who’s involved in multiple legal battles, and whose actions undermine your own values, it’s difficult to stay publicly supportive.

I think that’s why, in the end, women like Susie Wiles and Kellyanne Conway the ones who were in the trenches with him, who understood the game and played it well walked away. It wasn’t just about personal loyalty anymore; it was about survival. Political survival, yes, but also personal survival. They couldn’t keep defending someone whose actions were increasingly indefensible. The women who’ve walked away from Trump did so for a reason. It wasn’t just because of his legal issues it was because they had to reckon with the man behind the image, and the truth about him was too much to ignore.

It’s a complicated thing, watching the women who were once Trump’s closest allies unravel their connections to him one by one. It’s not because they were never loyal it’s because the truth eventually comes out, and it gets harder and harder to pretend it doesn’t matter.

Eventually, the women who stuck by him either had to leave or risk being tarnished by the fallout. It’s that simple.