Despite Trump claiming that he is the “protector of women,” his picks betray a complete disregard for the well-being of women and survivors of sexual assault.
The last several days of Donald Trump’s announced nominees have been disgusting. From nominating former Congressman Matt Gaetz, an accused sexual predator who faced two investigations for having sex with a minor, to his own sexual misconduct, President-elect Trump has shown that he has no interest in respecting women’s rights. 1 2Such disregard should not only be a reminder of how far the GOP is willing to throw women under the bus but also a sign that the upcoming administration must be opposed at every level.
A Cabinet of Predators
The long-standing sexism of Trump’s rhetoric alone should have been disqualifying. From referring to MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski as bleeding from a facelift, to referring Vice-President Kamala Harris as being born mentally ill, the President-elect has demonstrated again and again that he is uninterested in showing due respect to over half of Americans. 3 4
However, Trump’s picks for his second term are another level all together and could be more impactful than even his influence in overturning Roe v Wade (1973). 5Even when we remove Gaetz from the equation, other nominees for key positions have histories of sexual assault and abuse. Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, has been exposed paying a women, who claims he sexually assaulted her, for her silence. While Trump may not have known that Hegseth has a credible accusation against him, he is still standing by the Fox Host. 6
Nor is it simply Secretary of Defense or the Attorney General. Even on things such as Health and Human Services, which are supposed to be dedicated to keeping Americans safe and healthy, the upcoming Trump administration again shows it is unwilling to consider the impact is decisions have on women.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who Trump tapped to lead HHS, also has sexual assault allegations against him by his former babysitter Eliza Cooney. The allegations were first reported by Vanity Fair’s Joe Hagan.7 In response to the allegations RFK Jr. didn’t deny the claims and said that he was not a “church boy” and that he had a very “rambunctious youth.”8 Never mind that he was a fully grown man when the alleged assault took place, the fact that Kennedy thinks that is enough to ward off concern about his past is telling. What is even more telling is that Trump, despite knowing about these problems with Kennedy for months, had absolutely no problem in a position of power.
Outrageous and Not Surprising
Despite all of these events being absolutely and utterly insane, amoral and unacceptable, nobody should be surprised. For the last three presidential elections, Donald Trump and the Republican Party has shown itself to be utterly unrepentant in accepting this bigotry. The party of family values has been the party of “do whatever Trump asks” for years now.
That reality, one that has been screaming at us for all this time, must be met with outrage and unrelenting opposition up and down the ballot and in every major movement. Whether it is the local, state or national level, Trump’s movement must be seen and treated as it actually is: a bigoted cancer on the American body politic.
Removing this cancer means new faces in Democratic politics are necessary. Simply appealing to the old guard will not achieve anything. Anything short of a new face with the strong support of the Democratic base and new voters will not lead us to a stronger, more prosperous future.
Similarly, the Democratic Party can’t simply be the anti-Trump party. Rather, it should be a strong, progressive and active party that is able to communicate a clear vision for the nation’s future, with a strong focus on what the party can do for the American people. The grievance politics of the Republican Party must be met with a vision towards the future, one that is based in improvement, not nostalgia.
American women deserve better. We all do.
If you like my work and want to support me, you can find the donation link on my Kofi link. Thank you, I really appreciate it.
Leave a Reply