Former President Donald Trump, in a series of public statements, has repeatedly referred to CNN anchor Anderson Cooper by a woman’s name, “Allison,” in a move seen as an appeal to conservative male voters as the election approaches.
On Friday, Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, calling Cooper “Allison Cooper.” Later that day, he continued the taunt during a Traverse City, Michigan rally, where he criticised a town hall hosted by Cooper with Vice President Kamala Harris.
“If you watched her being interviewed by Allison Cooper the other night, he’s nice. You know Allison Cooper? CNN fake news,” Trump stated, following up in a mocking tone, “Oh, she said no, his name is Anderson. Oh, no.”
Trump’s use of a woman’s name continued during rallies over the weekend, with mentions in both Michigan and Pennsylvania. “They had a town hall,” he said in Michigan. “Even Allison Cooper was embarrassed by it. He was embarrassed by it,” he reiterated.
Trump’s comments came shortly after his appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, ‘The Joe Rogan Experience,’ which is popular among young men. The episode garnered 20 million views on YouTube within 20 hours of its Friday release, reaching 33.5 million views by Monday. Rogan’s most-watched episode, featuring Elon Musk, amassed 69 million views since its release in 2018.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s Democratic rival, has ramped up efforts to connect with male voters, launching a targeted ad campaign in battleground states. The new ads, which began airing during major sporting events on Sunday, are scheduled to continue Monday in Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. One of the ads is set to air during the Pittsburgh Steelers game on “Monday Night Football.”
A recent CNN poll among likely voters revealed that Trump currently leads with 51% support from male voters, while Harris holds 45% support. This indicates a competitive race for this demographic as Election Day approaches.
