While major policy disputes over inflation, health care, taxes, tariffs, immigration, and the war in Iran dominate headline debates this midterm election cycle, an underlying cultural question is quietly shaping key congressional battles: what defines a real man? This surge in aggressive posturing follows the brand of politics introduced over a decade ago by Donald Trump, who used a distinct style of masculinity to belittle primary rivals and defeat two female Democratic opponents during his White House campaigns. Seeking to regain power, several Democratic candidates are now asserting their own version of manhood—or striving to more confidently deflect conservative attacks.
"Democratic voters want a candidate who will fight," said Beth Reingold, an Emory University professor who specializes in gender and politics. "And that’s conceived as a sort of masculine demand, a more masculine approach, especially in response to Trump." The dynamic is playing out across several key races. In Michigan, Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed accused his Republican rival, Mike Rogers, of "beta energy" as they traded jabs over their high school football backgrounds.
Down in Texas, conservative figures have targeted Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico, labeling him "Low T Talarico" in reference to testosterone. The 37-year-old Talarico, who is campaigning against 63-year-old Ken Paxton, brushed off the insult by saying, "I don’t think guys my age are really concerned about that kind of thing." Reingold noted that gender discussions in campaigns typically focus on how female candidates choose to present themselves. "What’s different in this election," she said, "is that there’s even more of an incentive for these male candidates to make their masculinity present in some way, shape or form." Projecting stamina and hiding physical weakness has a long history in American politics.
Franklin Roosevelt hid his wheelchair and partial paralysis from the public. Kennedy, the youngest elected president, cultivated an image of youth and strength by being photographed sailing and playing football, while keeping his severe back pain and medication routine secret. Similarly, Ronald Reagan, then the oldest president ever to serve, was routinely depicted riding horseback.
Donald Trump, however, introduced a much more aggressive tone. He frequently applied derogatory nicknames to opponents, such as Marco Rubio—now Trump’s secretary of state—whom he called "Little Marco," and Jeb Bush, now retired from politics, whom he dubbed "Low Energy Jeb." During a 2016 primary debate, he even publicly defended the size of his genitalia. When Trump entered the Republican National Convention in 2024, speakers played James Brown's "It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World." He had recently survived an assassination attempt at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where he stood on stage with a bloodied face, pumping his fist and telling supporters to "fight! fight! fight!" Data from AP VoteCast showed that Trump increased his support among male voters to 55% that November, up from 51% in his 2020 race against Democrat Joe Biden.
In Michigan, the gender debate emerged after Rogers, a former Republican congressman, released a campaign commercial claiming Democrats want to permit "men in women’s sports." He criticized El-Sayed as overly liberal for the state while highlighting his own high school football background. El-Sayed responded on social media over the weekend, writing: "Clearly your teammates didn’t vote you captain. If they did, you would have said it in the ad.
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