EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is an excerpt from the new book, Planes, Steak & Water: Defending Donald J. Trump by Autry J. Pruitt.
It’s clear that the left’s arguments pointing out Donald Trump’s alleged sexism are purely political otherwise Bill Clinton would have been crucified as a sexist, and Hillary Clinton pilloried for attacking women who are victims. The arguments about Donald Trump being sexist are a broader part of the narrative that various news outlets attempt to create.
If they can keep Republicans labeled as sexist overall, then they have achieved their goal. (After all, in many ways Trump is a novice at name-calling when compared with the left’s skills at this.) We need to remember that when women cried out against the actions of Bill Clinton and the retributions of Hillary Clinton, the meek and apologetic response from the media was that his private sex and family life had nothing to do with his public service.
Hollywood’s propaganda war against Trump, not surprisingly, mirrors the vapidity and speciousness of DNC [and the Hillary campaign] attacks on Trump’s attitude toward women. The Democrats’ attachment to the Hollywood establishment is the height of hypocrisy, for the simple reason that Hollywood continues to be one of the most sexist industries in America.
Consider the recent release, Straight Outta Compton, which led one critic to point out that “institutionalized sexual and intimate partner violence against black women continues to be all but invisible in mainstream discourse.” It was the prominent and successful rapper T.I. who also intimated that he could not vote for a woman as the leader of the free world. Imagine if Clint Eastwood, Ted Nugent, or any white actor proffered such vile and blatantly sexist comments. The Democratic Party’s need for black votes means they will look the other way, no matter how breathtaking the transgression against what are supposed to their core values—as long as they garner votes.
Actresses are routinely harassed and bullied into doing whatever it takes to stay beautiful for as long as possible. And the old television guard is still mostly male. Just take a look at the major late-night hosts on television: John Oliver, Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, and Jimmy Fallon. If these guys hold their seats as long as the men before them (i.e. Carson, Letterman, Stewart), we have at least another 20 years of male-dominated TV to go.
Female directors find it difficult to thrive, and lower-level female employees often are paid less than their male counterparts and find their advancement frequently blocked. And the ill treatment starts early; Emma Watson of the Harry Potter franchise commented that she was “called bossy because [she] wanted to direct the plays…put on for [their] parents,” but the boys were never called such. This lines up squarely with the opinions of Jennifer Lawrence and Meryl Streep. The ACLU has indicated that the federal government is investigating gender discrimination in the entertainment industry, that is, the feds may be going after some of the Democratic Party’s most vocal and wealthy supporters.
Donald Trump’s actions, though, speak more forcefully than the words of the Clintons or the dismal play-acting of PC Hollywood potentates. Throughout his storied career, Donald Trump has kicked open the door to his organization for women, and not just for those who may toil away as secretaries and assistants, but for those who have what it takes to manage and contribute on the highest levels. Hollywood may have little use for ambitious women, but Trump highly values them—just ask the women who work with him.
The most interesting example of a female employee of the Trump Organization is Lynne Patton, who is vice president of the Eric Trump Foundation and senior assistant to Eric Trump, Ivanka Trump, and Donald Trump. Patton’s resume is as long as her arm, but for our purposes, the most relevant fact about her is that she is a black woman.
In May of 2016, Patton created a YouTube video that detailed her experience working with the Trumps. As the daughter of a man who grew up in Birmingham, Alabama during the Civil Rights Movement, and who became one of the most established and respected doctors at Yale University, Patton could no longer stand by and watch so many accuse her boss of discrimination.
In the video, she described the Trump family as generous, compassionate, and philanthropic. She describes the Trumps as extremely loyal, even choking up when she describes the help that the Trumps extended to her during her darkest hours: “Like many Americans, I have struggled with substance abuse and addiction. The Trump family has stood by me through immensely difficult times without hesitation or concern for their own reputation by association.”
Most other workplaces would have seen this as a liability and found a reason to let Patton go. The Trump family stood by her. She concludes the video by rejecting any notion that she was “encouraged” to make the five-minute film. She simply states that “this is the right thing to do. For me, it was an easy decision—just like voting for my boss Donald J. Trump should be an easy decision for you.” Just as he was there for Tara Conner, Trump was there for Patton when she went through a rough patch, offering her a second chance.
The president should be counted on to treat every citizen fairly, and Americans should be able to count on that person to speak the truth. Donald Trump should be judged by the substantive actions he has taken; he should be judged on his history of giving women opportunities that are rare in business sectors dominated by men (i.e., construction and gaming). It is a curious case, no doubt, Donald may not seem to talk the talk, but he definitely walks the walk.