The remark was sexist and belittling in the crude way that Mr Trump has repeatedly responded to women who question or challenge him in public - from newscasters like Megyn Kelly of whom he said “she had blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever” to Carly Fiorino who he disparaged by asking “Look at that face, would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?”
 
But when men insult powerful women, not only do they cut them down to size, they also play into society’s persistent discomfort with women in power.

Generally, the insults are subtler — and perhaps more pernicious, by playing into people’s stereotypes without their knowing it. Calling Mrs. Clinton “angry,” as Mr. Trump did several times last Wednesday, or “emotional,” as John McCain once did, or former UK prime minister David Cameron saying to then Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Angela Eagle, “Calm down, dear” evokes negative gender stereotypes of women as hysterical and irrational.

Extensive research shows that people feel uncomfortable when men and women don’t fit the stereotypes they expect — men as confident, strong leaders and women as humble, cooperative and supportive. Questioning a woman’s niceness serves that purpose and also makes it hard for a woman to fight back because she appears, well, less nice.

It appears that Mr Trump’s strategy may have backfired given the social media backlash and the wave of Nasty Woman t-shirts, totes, mugs and other merchandise in response to his remarks. As Mrs Clinton said, “Donald thinks belittling women makes him bigger. He goes after their dignity, their self-worth, and I don't think there is a woman anywhere who doesn't know what that feels like.” 

 
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