International
Harris vs Trump: the battle for the young male vote and the debate on masculinity
The US elections could be decided in an unexpected struggle to attract the male voter of Generation Z, where Donald Trump has eroded Democratic domination over young people while Kamala Harris offers a new model of masculinity, closer to empathy and equality.
The former Republican president (2017-2021) courts those voters by appearing in popular podcasts among Generation Z (born from 1997), while the Democratic vice president tries to position herself as a strong leader, relying on a new model of masculinity championed by her running mate, the governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz.
This battle reveals a deeper debate between the different conceptions of masculinity that prevail in the Democratic and Republican parties and how they resonate among young people.
Trump’s hypermasculinity
Trump’s campaign embraces a kind of hypermasculinity that reached its maximum expression at the republican convention in Milwaukee, where the former fighter Hulk Hogan tore off his shirt live and the former president himself went on stage to the rhythm of ‘It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World’ by James Brown.
At every rally, Trump projects the image of a tough leader. When in July in Pennsylvania a man tried to kill him, he got up after a few minutes crouched and, with a bloody face, raised his fist in front of the American flag, shouting “Fight, fight, fight!”.
Its objective, University of Michigan professor Aaron Kall explains to EFE, is to seduce young voters without university studies and who feel less affinity with democratic ideas than previous generations.
Therefore, Trump has chosen as a running mate the Ohio senator, J.D. Vance, the first member of the ‘millennial’ generation (born between 1981 and 1996) to be part of the commitment of a great party for the White House.
However, in their eagerness to attract the male electorate, both are pushing women away, enthusiastic about the possibility of a woman arriving at the White House for the first time.
For years, Trump has been accused of abuse by dozens of women and this same year a jury found him guilty of abusing columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996. Nor do some comments that Vance made in 2021, when he referred to women without children as “lady spinsters with cats” help him either.
Harris’ proposal: a new masculinity
Harris is doing everything possible to mobilize the female vote with the promise of protecting the right to abortion, legal for half a century until in June 2022 the Supreme Court annulled the ‘Roe vs Wade’ ruling.
In addition, to counter that narrative of Trump’s “strong man”, Harris’ campaign has presented its own masculinity alternative: men capable of leading with empathy and comfortable in the background next to a powerful woman.
This image is embodied by the second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who left his job as a lawyer when Harris became vice president, and especially Walz, who represents that renewed masculinity, as Georgetown professor Michael Cornfield explains to EFE.
Nicknamed “trainer Walz” for his experience in American football, Walz has 24 years of service in the National Guard and projects the image of a simple man from the crucial Midwest, appearing in rallies with a flannel shirt and mountain boots.
In his election debut with Harris, on August 6, Walz greeted the vice president by putting her palms together at chest height, showing a deference that enhanced Harris’ aura of leadership.
“Walz is the gateway for those men who feel uncomfortable accepting the possibility that a woman could be a commander-in-chief. It shows that real men can take a back seat with strong and capable women,” Cornfield explains.
The biggest gender gap in history
According to Lanae Erickson, former Barack Obama’s advisor (2009-2017), these differences between the candidates anticipate that in the November 5 elections there will be the largest “gender gap” in the recent history of the United States, that is, the largest difference ever recorded between the percentage of women and men who vote for one or another applicant.
“There is unprecedented enthusiasm for Harris among women. On the other hand, men, especially young people who vote for the first time, are turning to Trump,” says Erickson.
A recent survey by ABC and Ipsos reveals that the gender gap could reach 18 points, surpassing 12 points in 2020 and 11 in 2016.
Specifically, Harris is 13-point advantage of Trump among women, while Trump surpasses Harris by 5 points among men, an unprecedented phenomenon in American politics.
International
FBI Says It Disrupted Alleged Plot Targeting White House During UFC Event
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced Tuesday that it had disrupted an alleged plot to attack the White House during a major Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event held in Washington over the weekend.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the threat was identified on June 10 through a joint investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies. According to Patel, swift action by authorities led to the arrest of several suspects before the alleged plan could be carried out.
“On June 10, the FBI and our law enforcement partners became aware of a potential threat targeting UFC America 250 in Washington. Thanks to the rapid response of the FBI and our partners, multiple individuals are now in custody, and the alleged attack plans were stopped before they could be executed,” Patel said.
He emphasized that the operation demonstrated the ability of security agencies to detect and prevent potential threats at large public gatherings. Patel added that the investigation remains ongoing and that additional details will be released as court proceedings move forward.
According to reports from U.S. media outlets, five individuals have been arrested so far. The suspects were identified as Tycen Proper of Ohio, Daniel Eskridge of Missouri, Abraham Hermosillo Álvarez of Nebraska, and Bryan Omar Roa and Michael Alan Thomas, both from California. Authorities are also investigating the possible involvement of 18 additional individuals.
Investigators allege that the plot involved the use of drones equipped with explosives to target buildings near the sporting event. The plan reportedly sought to trigger a mass evacuation and direct attendees toward areas where snipers were allegedly positioned. Authorities further claim that a second phase of the operation included an attempted assault on the White House.
The U.S. Secret Service confirmed that it worked closely with the FBI throughout the operation. Secret Service Director Sean Curran stated that security teams conducted extensive efforts to identify those involved and eliminate any threat to attendees and protected facilities.
The investigation reportedly uncovered communications conducted through the messaging application Signal, where several suspects allegedly discussed details related to the planned attack. A forensic analysis of one of the seized mobile phones revealed at least 23 users participating in conversations connected to the alleged planning activities.
Court documents also indicate that some of the suspects allegedly intended to target U.S. political figures. Among the reported targets were members of Congress who had received contributions from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Investigators further stated that one of the primary suspects had posted antisemitic messages and expressions of support for Adolf Hitler on social media, evidence that is now part of the ongoing judicial investigation.
International
Brazil helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro kills six, including pilots and international figures
The Rio de Janeiro Civil Police confirmed on Monday the identities of three of the six victims killed in a helicopter collision that occurred the previous morning in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhood.
All three identified victims are Brazilian nationals: the pilots of the aircraft, Charles Marsillac and Alexandre Souza, and music producer Lucas Brito.
The identities of the three foreign victims have not yet been officially confirmed. They include U.S. singer Oliver Tree, Argentine YouTuber Gaspar Prim—known online as “Gaspi”—and Argentine producer Lucas Vignale, all of whom were listed on the flight manifest.
According to police, forensic experts from the Legal Medical Institute have already collected DNA samples in order to identify the foreign victims, whose bodies were severely burned.
One of the helicopters crashed into a private parking lot, triggering a fire that destroyed around twenty electric vehicles. That aircraft was carrying the pilot and four passengers, including the three foreign nationals.
The second helicopter, which had only the pilot on board, crashed approximately 100 meters away from the first impact site.
Rio de Janeiro’s deputy mayor, Eduardo Cavaliere, stated that both helicopters were operating transport flights toward Angra dos Reis on the Rio coastline and toward the mountainous region of the state.
Oliver Tree, 32, was in Brazil as part of an international tour. The artist, known for songs such as “Life Goes On” and “Miss You,” had performed to a large audience in São Paulo a week earlier and was scheduled to continue his tour in Europe.
Argentine content creator Gaspar Prim, 23, had built a following of more than two million on social media platforms, gaining popularity for humorous and often controversial video productions that had occasionally been removed by hosting platforms.
International
Mexico and U.S. Launch New Bilateral Security Group to Combat Fentanyl and Organized Crime
The governments of Mexico and the United States officially launched the Bilateral Implementation Group (BIG) on Friday, a new initiative aimed at strengthening cooperation on security issues and enhancing joint efforts against transnational crime.
In a statement, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson announced that he and Deputy Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco addressed officials from both countries who will lead what he described as a “new phase of bilateral cooperation.” The initiative seeks to curb the flow of fentanyl and other illicit drugs, illegal firearms, and human trafficking across the shared border.
Earlier this week, Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had confirmed that senior security officials from both nations would meet in Mexico City on June 12 to review and advance existing cooperation agreements.
Through social media, Ambassador Johnson explained that the new bilateral group is designed to improve coordination between the two governments by placing greater emphasis on implementation, accountability, and measurable results. The effort will also focus on combating transnational criminal organizations operating across North America.
“The participation of 15 U.S. government agencies, working alongside their Mexican counterparts, reflects the seriousness of this effort and our shared commitment to delivering measurable results,” Johnson said.
The ambassador also highlighted several achievements that he attributed to ongoing bilateral cooperation. According to Johnson, maritime drug trafficking into the United States has declined by more than 95 percent, while overdose deaths have fallen by 35 percent.
He further noted that Mexican authorities have seized more than 400 metric tons of illegal drugs and dismantled over 2,300 clandestine laboratories as part of their efforts to combat organized crime and narcotics production.
The launch of the Bilateral Implementation Group marks the latest step in the security partnership between Mexico and the United States, as both countries seek to address shared challenges related to drug trafficking, arms smuggling, human trafficking, and the activities of criminal networks operating across the region.
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