When It Comes to Misogyny, Texas Republicans Practice What Donald Trump Preaches

After audio of Donald Trump — the Republican nominee for President — bragging about sexually assaulting women surfaced over the weekend, Texas Republicans feigned shock and condemnation. But these are the same men who have been imposing a shockingly similar brand of misogyny — legislating control over women’s bodies, undermining women’s economic independence, and demeaning the bodily autonomy of Texans  — for years.

These politicians have dedicated themselves to denying women their right to determine their own reproductive future, preventing women from getting equal pay for equal work, and exploiting fear of sexual assault as a means to deny transgender people their rights.

So let’s take a look at the leaders of the Texas Republican Party who are standing by their racist, xenophobic, misogynist candidate for president who likes to “grab them by the pussy.”

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Ted Cruz is the worst. Before reaffirming his support for Trump, Cruz took to Twitter to express his sham moral outrage: “These comments are disturbing and inappropriate, there is simply no excuse for them. Every wife, mother, daughter — every person — deserves to be treated with dignity and respect." What. A. Crock.

From limiting sexual assault prevention and abortion and birth control access, to undermining equal pay protections and paid family leave laws, Cruz — a man who in his own words sees women only as an extension of men, their wives, mothers, daughters — treats women with zero dignity and respect:

• Cruz voted against the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, a law aimed at combating domestic violence and campus sexual assault.

• Cruz wants to outlaw abortion and force every woman to carry her pregnancy to term.

• Cruz wants to deny women access to affordable birth control, by letting employers control their employees’ reproductive health care decisions and by repealing Obamacare.

• Cruz dismissed the need for equal pay for equal work solutions and voted to block the Paycheck Fairness Act.

• Cruz complained about how his campaign schedule left him with little personal or family time, but thinks employers should be able to deny employees paid family leave.

• Cruz tried to shut down the federal government to defund Planned Parenthood.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott

Not to be outdone, Gov. Abbott took to Twitter to do the impossible — create distance from Trump while sticking by his side: "Deeply disturbing rhetoric by Trump. An insult to all women & contrary to GOP values. Absent true contrition, consequences will be dire." Contrary to GOP values, eh?

Both before and during his tenure as Governor, Greg Abbott has amassed an impressive record of insulting women:

• Abbott campaigned alongside his “blood brother” Ted Nugent, an admitted sexual predator.

• As a judge, Abbott repeatedly sided against victims of sexual assault and rape.

• As Attorney General, Abbott was on the front lines of using a bogus “protect women’s health” justification to deny Texas women their constitutional right to access abortion care.

• As Governor, Abbott is leading the charge to outlaw abortion and undermine women’s access to reproductive health care in Texas. Bypassing the legislature, Abbott cut Planned Parenthood out of the state’s Medicaid and HIV programs, and launched a rule that would force women to hold funerals for their fetal remains.

• Abbott opposes legislation that would help women get equal pay.

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick

Dan Patrick, Trump’s most vocal supporter and campaign chairman in Texas, is obviously sticking by his man. Which should come as no surprise, given Patrick’s long history of sticking it to Texas women:

• Patrick authored the Texas law requiring a woman to undergo medically-unnecessary, transvaginal ultrasounds before having an abortion.

• Patrick doesn’t think equal pay is problem and voted against it.

• Patrick has exploited real victims of sexual assault to further discriminate against transgender Texans.