In Trump’s America, you can still tell a woman to sit down and shut up. Of course, it just depends on her politics.
Betsy DeVos and Elizabeth Warren know this better than most. Both were silenced by men and both persisted. But only one was heralded as a hero according to a shifting and ever-evolving standard of misogyny.
At first glance, the two episodes seem to meet the Left’s sexism standard. When Sen. Warren violated standing Senate decorum late Tuesday evening, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell flexed his parliamentary muscle to bar her from speaking. And when Education Secretary Betsy Devos tried entering a middle school, a small shrieking troupe of protestors kept her from entering. But that’s where the comparison ends.
Warren’s snub launched a thousand think pieces overnight, turning her into a viral heroine and prompting more speculation about her presidential ambitions. DeVos didn’t fare as well.
Coverage of the DeVos episode seemed more like victim blaming than anything else. The Washington Post, for instance, highlighted the fact that DeVos “remains a polarizing figure in the education world days after she took office.” Put another way, a woman should expect pushback if she holds unpopular opinions.
Never mind the shrieking neckbeard, screaming at a member of the president’s Cabinet. Pay no attention to the fact that another adult male was arrested for assaulting a police officer. Somehow, it’s all DeVos fault.
Either the Left has suffered severe cognitive dissonance or there’s an underlying double standard when it comes to sexism. Judging from the treatment of Republican women in Trump’s America, it seems the latter is more likely.
Philip Wegmann is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
