And neither Trump nor Cruz seem to particularly care about winning those particular hearts. For sure, no ardent, progressive feminist is going to be wooed by the shameless use of a politician’s wife as an object to gain political points. The better question is about whose norms they are violating. The interesting question here is not about the attacks themselves-these moves are perfectly predictable. Both have taken risks by violating the boundaries of theoretical civility in politics-don’t allow your allies to imply that your opponent’s wife is a slut, don’t imply that your opponent’s wife is ugly-but it’s not clear that they’re bad risks, or ones that will come with negative consequences. It’s possible that Trump’s move-or Cruz’s, for that matter-will alienate some folks in their core constituencies, or perhaps some of the general electorate, but both men are performing exactly the roles they’ve had throughout this race. But in this back-and-forth, their own independent histories are irrelevant-they have been reduced, by both sides and in different ways, to their sexual appeal.

It’s worth noting that both of these men have wives who are accomplished in their fields: Melania has worked successfully as a model, and Heidi as a banker. There is also a logic to this: Trump is appealing to a segment of Americans who are moved by calls to assert America’s superiority in the world and who like Trump’s real-talk, even if it makes them nervous sometimes. Trump is making a claim about status and power: that the beauty of his wife proves his superiority over Ted Cruz, because a man’s social standing is partly a function of his ability to compete, and win, in sexual contests. There’s a logic to this: Mormons, who were targeted in the ad push, believe in modesty and tend to be culturally conservative. Cruz’s allies are making a claim about propriety: That modesty and sexual demureness are virtues, especially in a woman who will represent the United States. That guy who would suggest the only female Democratic presidential candidate in this race needs a spanking.īoth men’s supporters are using their wives as symbolic weapons, but they’re fighting toward different ends. Ted Cruz was also always that guy: the one who would look away as his allies circulated a naked picture of the wife of his enemy, and then suggest that “real men don’t attack women.” That guy who who stands silently by as his allies suggest that a man’s fitness for office can be measured in terms of the chastity of his wife-that her comparative purity, and his willingness to defend it, are tests of his manly authority. Your wife is lovely, and Heidi is the love of my life.” Cruz replied: “Donald, real men don’t attack women. Be careful, Lyin' Ted, or I will spill the beans on your wife!” The next day, he retweeted the meme that had already circulated widely, comparing Cruz's wife to his own.

“Or, you could support Ted Cruz on Tuesday.” On primary night, Trump shot back, saying, “Lyin' Ted Cruz just used a picture of Melania from a G.Q. “Meet Melania Trump, your next first lady,” the ad said. It started when an anti-Trump Super PAC, Make America Awesome, pushed ads depicting a naked Melania Trump out to women in Utah. For the lasts several days, he and Ted Cruz have been in a Twitter-based Battle of the Wives, pitting Melania and Heidi against one another in contests of appearance and virtue.

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