GASTONIA, N.C. –
Donald Trump says he will be the “protector” of women, whether they like it or not.
He’s campaigned with men who use sexist and crude language. He’s expressed alarm at the idea that wives might vote differently from their husbands.
And the former Republican president has suggested that Democrat Kamala Harris, who is trying to become the first woman to win the White House, would get “overwhelmed” and “melt down” facing male authoritarian leaders he considers tough.
In the final days of his campaign, Trump has stuck to a gendered worldview that his critics consider dated and paternalistic, even as he acknowledges that some of that language has gotten him “into so much trouble” with a crucial group of voters.
Trump and some of his most prominent allies have peddled outright sexism.
Former Fox News …