Former Democratic Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis lamented on Thursday the "misogynistic climate" former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton faced during the 2016 election, saying that President Donald Trump "exhibited tremendous sexism and misogyny."
Vox interviewed Davis on how the 2016 election changed the "understanding of women's leadership." Davis argued that Clinton's loss in the face of so much misogyny "was like a big cold splash of water" in women's faces, prompting them to stop being "nice."
"The fact that it happened in such a misogynistic climate against a candidate who had exhibited tremendous sexism and misogyny, I think, was like a big cold splash of water in all of our faces that we decided, 'No more being nice,'" Davis said.
Davis praised the Women's March on Washington, and seemed to criticize the idea that women should "subtly" address barriers to women in society.
"I think some of us have suffered from the idea that if we navigate our way more subtly through the challenges we face as women, that that will somehow serve our ultimate goal," Davis speculated.
Clinton's election, according to Davis, changed that.
"It’s not that we’re being ugly now, but we’re being much more assertive, and we’re not demurring to the idea that this isn’t a conversation that we should have, and I’m really encouraged by that," she said.