Former President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he would “protect” women “whether the women like it or not,” a comment that the Harris campaign immediately responded to.

Trump said at his rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, that his “people” previously told him they didn’t think he should say he wanted to “protect the women of our country,” comments he made earlier during the campaign.

“I said, ‘Well, I’m going to do it whether the women like it or not,’” Trump said. “I’m going to protect them.”

Vice President Kamala Harris and her campaign were quick to highlight his comments about X.

“Donald Trump believes he should make decisions about what you do with your body,” Harris said in a post. “Whether you like it or not.”

A Harris campaign spokesperson, Sarafina Chitika, also said on X that Trump “thinks he knows better than the women of America.”

Karoline Leavitt, spokesperson for Trump’s campaign, sought comment, saying: “Harris may be the first female vice president, but she has implemented dangerous liberal policies that have left women worse off financially and far less safe than they were four years ago under President Trump.” .

“Women deserve a president who will secure our country’s borders, remove violent criminals from our neighborhoods and build an economy that helps our families thrive — and that’s exactly what President Trump will do,” Leavitt added, pointing out the White House’s record on migration. and the economy.

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Harris has focused much of her campaign on preserving and expanding reproductive rights following the end of Roe v. Wade. She often says at rallies that she wants to sign a bill that would rewrite into law the protections of the landmark Supreme Court case.

Trump’s campaign is trying to win over female voters in a race where polls show razor-thin margins in several battleground states.

Trump, who has already faced criticism from within his Republican ranks for being “overly masculine” and underperforming among female voters in recent polls, has taken credit for ending Roe v. Wade and said he was able to “do it.” kill’. has praised the issue of abortion being sent to the states. Trump has also said he would not sign a federal abortion ban.

An NBC News poll this month found a large gender gap in voters’ preferences for the candidates, with women supporting Harris by a margin of 14 percentage points and men supporting Trump by a margin of 16 percentage points.

The same poll found that voters considered abortion their top motivating issue, with 22% saying they considered it important enough to vote on the issue alone.