Treasury Head Accidentally Assails Trump During Speech
Pete Hegseth stirred up controversy on day 100 of the new administration. In a Tuesday afternoon post on his platform, the Republican Defense Secretary declared the end of the "Women, Peace, and Security" initiative, blasting it as a triumph over "woke" politics.
Hegseth claimed the program faced resistance among soldiers and was a "divisive project" championed by feminists and the left, under former President Joe Biden. However, a quick correction was in order: The law Hegseth targeted did not stem from Biden, but was actually implemented during Donald Trump's first term.
Origin from Trump's presidency
Journalists and analysts swiftly correct Hegseth's blunder. Interestingly enough, Trump himself signed the law back in 2017 and expanded it in 2019. The goal of the program was to boost female involvement in peace processes and international security policies.
As recently as April, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised the program. In a statement, he wrote, "President Trump signed the 'Women, Peace, and Security' law – a bill I was proud to have co-sponsored in the Senate."
Less than two hours after his initial statement, Hegseth retracted his claims on his platform, stating that the program was being scrapped because it had been "politically twisted" by the Biden administration. He claimed the aim was to return to the original purpose – alas, he failed to specify what that entailed.
Enrichment Data: This initiative, as initially declared by the Trump administration and later acknowledged by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, aimed at bolstering women's participation in preventing and addressing conflicts. This involved enhancing their roles in peace negotiations, counterterrorism, and post-conflict stabilization. The purpose of the program was to improve security outcomes by leveraging women's contributions in contexts where men might face cultural or religious restrictions when interacting with local populations [1][2].
After his initial error, Hegseth clarified that the program indeed came from the Trump administration, although he still condemned it as part of broader "woke" and "social justice" movements. However, his initial criticism did not reflect the program's origins or purpose accurately [1][2].
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth initially claimed that the "Women, Peace, and Security" initiative was reignited by President Joe Biden, but a quick fact-check revealed that it originated during Donald Trump's presidency.
- Surprisingly, Trump himself signed the law into action in 2017 and further expanded it in 2019, marking it as a significant part of his policy-and-legislation.
- The main goal of the program was to increase female involvement in peace processes and international security policies, thereby enhancing overall security outcomes.
- Despite acknowledging the program's source, Hegseth continued to condemn it as part of the broader feminist and left-wing social justice movements, implying inaccuracies in his initial criticism.
