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What Donald Trump says about women has not been pretty. Comments like “blood coming out of her wherever,” referring to some women as “pigs,” and others as having “an ugly face and body,” perhaps represent who Trump is as much as his orange mane might characterize his appearance. He’s gone so far as to say that Rosie O’Donnell is “ugly inside and out,” he’s criticized Angelina Jolie as being “not beautiful,” and he once even called a breast feeding mom, “disgusting.”

Here in Cleveland at the Republican National Convention this week are hundreds, perhaps thousands of female Trump supporters. I asked more than a dozen Republican women why they were supporting Donald Trump and whether they were concerned about his past comments and behavior concerning women. 

The vast majority of the interviewees said that it was their dislike for the Democratic Party’s presumptive presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, more than any other single factor that has pushed them into the Trump camp. Cheryl Howell, 57, is a retired administrative assistant from North Branch, Michigan and her tentative remarks are reflective of many GOP women. Howell carefully chose her words as she stood on East 4^th Street, where Republicans party and are entertained by both left and rightwing protesters. Here the rank and file generally open themselves up to interviews. I spoke to Howell as we were standing directly in front of the MSNBC booth, from which live broadcasts spill out in all directions. 

“I don’t want Hillary to be President,” Howell said. “We need less government and Trump has a different outlook.” She paused before criticizing Trump, but is still determined to vote for him. “I’m not thrilled with the some of the comments he has made, and I do think he needs to work on thinking before he speaks,” she admitted. But at the end of the day, she said, she is a party loyalist, and she said firmly, “because he’s made some foolish statements doesn’t mean I won’t vote for him.” 

Cassandra Fairbanks sports several tattoos on her arms and legs. She writes for Sputnik and Teen Vogue and lives in Washington, D.C. As a Bernie Sanders supporter she’s perhaps an anomaly in the Trump camp—at least the Clinton campaign is hoping she is. “I’m very much against Hillary Clinton,” she said. “She took money from Saudi Arabia, which has a horrible track record on women.” Fairbanks then added, “Trump will only attack if we are attacked, and he’s against the TPP.” Finally, she took a deep breath and said, “I only went to Trump after Bernie lost.” 

Karen Williams was out on the town with her friend doing some political tourism. She wondered out loud in my direction why MSNBC’s Chris Matthews would not engage with her, but responded to my questions from a distance of about twenty feet over the two layers of glass surrounding his stage. She assumed a “liberal bias” she said. “He acknowledges you and he won’t even talk to me.” 

Williams is a mom of four who works full-time as a contract manager and lives in Cleveland. She said “Williams” is her maiden name. At work, she goes by her married last name, but “doesn’t want to create any trouble” with fellow employees. She was both circumspect and engaging as we spoke: 

“First of all I believe in the Republican Party platform and he (Trump) was not my first choice, (John) Kasich and (Chris) Christie were my top choices.” 

But why she supports Trump now comes down to “Hillary’s character” Williams said. 

“Hillary will continue with her corruptness, single-payer will bankrupt us, and if you want free education go out and work for it.” 

Judy Jackman is an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention (RNC). She’s part of the large Texas delegation who wear American flag shirts with blue jeans, and all sport a similar white cowboy hat. You can’t miss them when looking out across the convention floor. 

I found Jackman sitting cross-legged on the cement in front of the Marriot hotel. She was smoking a cigarette and scrolling on her cell phone. Before retiring, Jackman said she taught for more than thirty years, mostly at Amarillo College in Amarillo, Texas. 

“When the primary began I was a Cruz supporter, and I was pleased with what he’s done in Washington.” She took a long drag on her filterless cigarette. Then Cruz finally dropped out and “I ordered [Trump’s] books and listened to his rallies. So, I’m educated,” she added, seeming to react to the criticism that many Trump supporters didn’t get past high school. “The system’s corrupt and he may be the only one that can have an impact on that corruption.” 

I noticed a large button on her flag-colored shirt. It read: “KFC Hillary Special: 2 fat thighs, 2 small breasts…left wing.” So is Judy Jackman at all disturbed by Trump’s negative comments concerning women? 

“You know, the world’s gotten so politically correct,” she said. “I listen to about half of this and wonder whether it’s true.” 

She also added “He was in a position where women wanted his attention too…and is that worse than some of these scandalous affairs Bill Clinton has had?” 

She ended our interview by saying what many here readily conclude: “They just want to go after Trump because it’s newsworthy.” Just then Jackman’s convention “invited guest” sat down on the sidewalk with us and reminded her that she’s also the president of the “High Plains Republican Woman’s” organization. 

I caught up with a fast-walking lawyer, Elizabeth (last name not offered) who is also an alternate delegate from Columbus, Ohio. She was on her way to the evening session on day one of the convention. She said that she was “sort of still working it out. Eventually I will get there.” 

To Trump? “Yes, because it’s about bringing a balance to the Supreme Court…the court, that’s what it’s about for me.” And his rude comments about women? “Insulting and rude comments are always bad” She said before quickly outpacing me, about to confront the vast security checkpoints set up outside and inside the Q Arena, site of the RNC. 

Finally, I sat down with Louisiana delegate, Patti Carter. It was around midnight. The first day’s events were just winding down and the closing prayer was about to be invoked. She sat among a sea of empty chairs. Carter was the last delegate from Louisiana still present at this late hour. 

She told me she just loves these conventions, just can’t get enough. She leaves her husband home, “but he supports my political work,” she said. The couple owns an “oil field service company” in Lafayette, La. So what is it about Trump and women? 

“He just evokes a patriotic passion in people…he’s awakened people,” she said. “It’s not true that women don’t like him, it’s a lie they put out there.” 

But what about his harsh language concerning women? “At first the older women…didn’t care for it, the younger ones talk like that all the time so they don’t care.” 

She paused. “It’s just people getting sick of political correctness. We just want somebody who is non-scripted.” Searching again for the right words Carter said, “They like him because he’s strong.” 

The many women who addressed the convention delegates from the stage on the first night expressed similar opinions-- Melania Trump was a rare exception in not attacking Hillary Clinton and sticking close to a script that praised her husband while extolling her own immigrant past. 

Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst was left as the closing act. The senator offered an unrelentingly harsh critique of Clinton’s record on foreign policy and recent email troubles. Ernst, in a non-prime time speaking opportunity (most of tonight’s prime time was filled by men) was enthusiastic in her condemnation of Clinton’s record even as the delegates were visibly streaming out of the arena following Melania Trump’s speech. 

“Hillary Clinton is unfit to serve as our nation’s commander-in-chief,” exhorted Ernst. She received energetic applause from the few thousand left in an arena that can hold 20,000 when she remarked, “With Hillary Clinton it’s always about her. It should be about you.”