Donald Trump slammed after vowing to 'protect' women 'whether they like it or not'

The controversial ex-President said during a campaign speech - which he arrived at in a rubbish truck - that he would protect women "whether they like it or not"

Donald Trump has been slammed after he made a "threatening" statement in which he vowed to "protect" women "whether they like it or not".

The controversial former President, 78, held his latest MAGA rally in Green Bay, in Wisconsin, on Wednesday, appearing to crowds of supporters while clad in a hi-vis vest. He arrived at the rally in a rubbish truck before proceeding to the stage and delivering the remarks he said his campaign had warned him were "inappropriate".

He told the crowd: “And my people told me about four weeks ago. I want to protect the people, I want to protect the women of our country, I want to protect the women.” In one of his characteristic rambling skits, he also impersonated a tired staffer begging him not to say the "inappropriate" follow up, in which he vowed to be a "protector" whether women "like it or not".

He continued: “Sir, please don’t say that … We think it’s very inappropriate to say so.” Impersonating himself, he added: “Why? I’m president, I want to protect the women of our country.” Ultimately ignoring the staffer's advice, he forged ahead, concluding: “Well, I’m going to do it whether the women like it or not.”

The statement, as warned, has not gone down well with prospective voters, with people posting online perceiving the comments as "threatening". One person wrote on X, formerly Twitter : “It’s actually hilarious how he somehow made his pandering sound threatening."

Another poster, MSNBC's Katie Phiang, branded his pledge "non-consensual protection", adding it received a "hard pass" from her. She wrote: “Trump’s non-consensual ‘protection’ is a hard pass.” Both Trump and his rival, Vice President Kamala Harris, are making their closing arguments ahead of the national vote on November 4, with women's rights having featured significantly over the last few months of campaigning.

Democrats have defended the right to abortion and protecting women's health, with supporters and campaigners making the case that Trump is ill-equipped to defend woman from decisions made by Republican lawmakers, many of whom aligned with him, who have outlawed abortion.

Among those helping spread the message is former First Lady Michelle Obama, who said in a fiery speech this month that the former president does not have the "emotional maturity" to rise to the challenge. She said: “Do you think Donald Trump is thinking about the consequences for the millions of women who will be living in medical deserts? Does anyone think he has the emotional maturity and foresight to come up with a plan to protect us?”