Men are indeed scared — and Trump exploits fear

There is a silent force emerging in American politics, and thanks to the contentious debate over Judge Brett Kavanaugh, President Trump is tapping right into it.

I’m talking about men. Your husband, perhaps, or your brother or son.

It’s a “very scary time for young men” in America, Trump said at a rally last week. “My whole life I’ve heard you’re innocent until proven guilty, but now you’re guilty until proven innocent. That is a very, very difficult standard.”

While the pundits and my fellow Democrats may rightly blast Trump for his statement, I have to tell you that most men I talk with are privately glad he said it.

Men, even liberal men, tell me they have stopped talking about the Kavanaugh hearings even at home, out of fear of being shredded by their wives or daughters.

The slightest questioning of Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony is tantamount to being a Trump supporter. Raising any point in Kavanaugh’s defense is just as bad.

The result is that most men have gone completely silent. So when Trump said “It’s a very scary time for young men” in America, because they fear they’re at risk of being accused of things they didn’t do, he has an audience.

When they go into the voting booth, with no one watching, there’s a good chance they’ll vote their fear. They won’t be voting for Trump — they’ll be voting to curtail the power of those they feel may be coming after them next.

We’ll find out soon

enough.

Prize trip: It’s been a while since I’ve been back to Hong Kong, but an invitation to the Lui Che Woo Prize for World Civilization ceremony had me boarding the Cathay Pacific jet at SFO.

Among those who were with me was Lawrence Lui of the Stanford Hotel Group, whose father established the prize. It’s awarded for achievements in sustainable development, energy conservation and overall betterment of humanity.

Think of it as a kind of Nobel Prize. The first recipient was Jimmy Carter.

This year’s winners were the World Meteorological Organization, the Pratham Education Foundation and HansJosef Fell, a German pioneer in renewable energy.

It was a glorious few days. Hong Kong has 8 million people crammed into a space not much bigger than San Francisco. No tents, but I felt like the only guy not wearing a surgical mask.

Coming up: It won’t be a fight. It might even be fun. The Willie Brown Institute’s annual breakfast event Oct. 30 will feature the two candidates for governor, Gavin Newsom and John Cox.

They won’t be debating — they’ll be presenting their personalities and platforms.

It’s already nearly sold out, but don’t worry — I don’t take a cut. Sponsors contribute $5,000 to the institute, which helps pay for internships for San Francisco State University students.

Signing off: Congratulations and best of luck to KGO-TV’s Carolyn Tyler, who, after 35 years of broadcasting, is headed for retirement.

By my count the only other African Americans to be on the local airwaves that long were Belva Davis and Dennis Richmond. And I think they invented TV.

Movie time: A mandatory must-see, “Fahrenheit 11/9.” Few movies are this important.

Michael Moore’s film covers the goats as well as the gods of our current scene with the same aplomb as the original. See it.

“Night School.” Kevin Hart shows up in more movies than practically any other actor, which for me means he’s overexposed. This is one he should have turned down — in its nearly two-hour running time, there’s maybe 20 minutes of fun.

Fortunately, you can turn down the chance to see it. Legal tender: My daughter was asking about college tuition for her kids, which got me going on the subject. When I got my law degree from Hastings, I noted, it cost me all of $50.

“You mean you got a $50 education?” she asked.

Yes, and it was worth every dollar. Badda boom: A guy came up to me the other day and said, “Mr. Brown, the Brett Kavanaugh hearings have had at least one impact.

“We will never again be able to say ‘sober as a judge’ with a straight face.”

Want to sound off ? Email: wbrown@sfchronicle.com