NBC correspondent Andrea Mitchell remarked on Sunday that Vice President Kamala Harris has a “significant issue with men,” cautioning that the gender gap between the two political figures could influence the election’s outcome.
Although national polls indicate Harris has a slight advantage over former President Donald Trump, the GOP candidate has been gradually attracting voters from crucial Democratic demographics. On “Meet the Press,” Mitchell highlighted the urgency for Harris’s campaign to intensify efforts, especially with less than 30 days remaining, pointing out the notable gap among both Democratic and Republican men.
“I think they’ve got to double down on doing more interviews, serious interviews, because what I’m hearing from Democratic and Republicans business people and a lot of men. She’s got such a big problem with men. I think there’s an undercount of the Trump vote,” Mitchell said.
“I think that there’s misogynation in all of this, black and white men. Big problem. But also, the business world, they don’t think she’s serious,” Mitchell added. “They don’t think she’s a heavy weight. A lot of this is gender, but she’s got to be more specific about her economic plans.”
Last week, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff appeared on MSNBC with Jen Psaki, and a clip from their conversation went viral when he discussed reshaping the “perception of masculinity.” Emhoff has publicly supported abortion rights, asserting in a May NBC interview that men should see abortion as not only a women’s issue but a family matter as well.
Recent data from the Howard University Initiative on Public Opinion, collected from September 4 to 11, shows that while Harris enjoys 75% support among Black voters, Trump has gained traction, rising to 16% from the 7% he had in 2020. Among Black men under 50, 21% are expected to support Trump, while 72% back Harris. Furthermore, 88% of Black men over 50 support Harris, with 10% leaning toward Trump this November.
The gender gap between Harris and Trump has notably widened over the past two months and years as party dynamics have evolved. According to the latest New York Times/Siena College poll, women in the key swing state of Pennsylvania favor the vice president 55% to 41%, whereas men lean toward Trump 52% to 39%.
