While on the face of it the “War on Women” rhetoric was absurd, a series of distasteful incidents – like when Rep. Todd Akin talked about “legitimate rape” – and awkward moments – like when GOP candidate Mitt Romney talked about “binders full of women” – caused the theme to resonate. And there’s no doubt it hurt the conservative brand and Republicans at the voting booth in 2012.

Democrats perhaps over-played their “War on Women” hand in the 2014 midterms, and Republicans momentarily emerged out from under this dark cloud, shrinking the gender gap considerably. But Republicans would be foolish to assume this trope has lost its power, especially with Hillary Clinton poised to win the Democrat nomination. Any serious campaign would do everything possible to engage women voters and avoid giving new life to these charges.

That’s why the recent event at a Donald Trump press conference this week, in which Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields claims to have been mistreated by a senior campaign official, deserves some attention. While I suspect all the facts are not yet on the table – in fact Fields just filed a police report – the eagerness of the Trump campaign to discredit Fields is worrisome.

For years the left has mischaracterized the right as ignoring violence against women and they’ve taken every opportunity to create the conception that conservatives don’t believe in real gender equality. As the head of a modern feminist, free-market women’s think tank, I frequently criticize my progressive counterparts for stamping women and girls with a “victim” status. I condemn them for stripping women of any agency and decision-making power in their lives. And I certainly lambast them for pushing more government as a way of “protecting” women.

But disagreeing with this larger, feminist narrative and their big-government policy prescriptions doesn’t negate the behavior of the Trump campaign. The reality is, too many Trump voters – wrapped up in the contrarian, “anti-establishment” fervor – have been quick to ignore behavior that should be entirely out of bounds.

From choke-holding a photographer to punching protestors, it’s hard to deny there’s a certain hostility that accompanies Trump’s gatherings.

The “War on Women” narrative – the idea that Republicans are openly hostile to women – dominated headlines in the 2012 presidential race.

While on the face of it the “War on Women” rhetoric was absurd, a series of distasteful incidents – like when Rep. Todd Akin talked about “legitimate rape” – and awkward moments – like when GOP candidate Mitt Romney talked about “binders full of women” – caused the theme to resonate. And there’s no doubt it hurt the conservative brand and Republicans at the voting booth in 2012.

Democrats perhaps over-played their “War on Women” hand in the 2014 midterms, and Republicans momentarily emerged out from under this dark cloud, shrinking the gender gap considerably. But Republicans would be foolish to assume this trope has lost its power, especially with Hillary Clinton poised to win the Democrat nomination. Any serious campaign would do everything possible to engage women voters and avoid giving new life to these charges.

That’s why the recent event at a Donald Trump press conference this week, in which Breitbart reporter Michelle Fields claims to have been mistreated by a senior campaign official, deserves some attention. While I suspect all the facts are not yet on the table – in fact Fields just filed a police report – the eagerness of the Trump campaign to discredit Fields is worrisome.

For years the left has mischaracterized the right as ignoring violence against women and they’ve taken every opportunity to create the conception that conservatives don’t believe in real gender equality. As the head of a modern feminist, free-market women’s think tank, I frequently criticize my progressive counterparts for stamping women and girls with a “victim” status. I condemn them for stripping women of any agency and decision-making power in their lives. And I certainly lambast them for pushing more government as a way of “protecting” women.

But disagreeing with this larger, feminist narrative and their big-government policy prescriptions doesn’t negate the behavior of the Trump campaign. The reality is, too many Trump voters – wrapped up in the contrarian, “anti-establishment” fervor – have been quick to ignore behavior that should be entirely out of bounds.