We have all learned what experts have confirmed—that providing opportunities for women benefits all of us. Women are more than half of the population; they contribute or are sole breadwinners to many homes and families; they have many qualifications; as leaders, they enhance collaboration, increase productivity, and improve fairness.

Yet waging a war on women, rather that moving them forward, is exactly the direction the Trump Administration is taking.

Trump’s History

Donald Trump is notorious for his personal disdain and disrespect for women.  He routinely has made vulgar remarks about women and been accused of sexual assault multiple times.   It is no surprise that Trump’s name appears many times in the Epstein files or that the Justice Department has gone to lengths not to release them fully.

Now these personal attitudes and perspectives are being institutionalized in federal policies and programs he is responsible for as President.  In the process, he is erasing gains women have made and sending women, and all of us, back to the 1950’s.

Health Care

Trump has historically played to his right wing supporters by eroding reproductive health care and access to abortion for women – an outcome that hurts men and families as well. His first-term appointments to the Supreme Court enabled in 2022 a 6-3 decision overruling the constitutional right to abortion throughout the United States established in Roe v. Wade in 1973. That decision – Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization – coupled with the follow-on actions of some states, has led to a serious decline in abortion access, created legal risks for providers, and intensified health inequities across the country.

Robert Kennedy’s Food and Drug Administration is reexamining mfisteprone, one form of medication abortion. Mfisteprone and other similar pills, now represent more than half of the abortions in the US.  Limiting or prohibiting its access would be devastating for those seeking to terminate a pregnancy.

A few more examples of Trump’s assault on women’s health:

• The Administration rescinded a Biden-era guidance requiring hospitals to provide emergency abortion care under a law called EMTALA.
• The “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBB) ended Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood.
• Title X funding has been radically altered, resulting in reduced access to services for low-income patients, including pregnancy counseling, prenatal-related referrals, and contraception.
• Changes to Medicaid made by the OBB will result in more paperwork, stricter eligibility requirements, and new work requirements.

Taken together, these actions will especially harm poor women seeking to make their own reproductive decisions, including giving birth to healthy children.

Women in the Workplace

The Trump Administration actions will turn back the clock to a bygone era of discriminatory laws and practices.   It has transformed the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from an agency that enforces civil rights laws and anti-discrimination regulations into an agency that protects the interests of white men and attacks private sector entities that have tried to promote a non-discriminatory workplace.  The EEOC has also undercut efforts to implement the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

Further, President Trump rescinded Executive Order11246 as amended that for nearly sixty years had forbidden racial and sexual discrimination by federal contractors. The Administration also revoked the $15 per hour minimum wage for federal contract workers and is in the process of removing minimum wage protections for domestic workers.  It also has halted enforcement of wage and overtime protections for many home health workers.

Trump has been particularly harsh on women in leadership positions.  This has the effect of reducing role models and mentors, limiting opportunities for women, and leading to the kinds of bad decision-making that does not take diverse views into account.   It is no coincidence that the first two cabinet officers he canned are women – DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Women in the Military.

The military, where people serve our whole country, provide important opportunities for service and advancement, and train coming generations.  Trump touted plans during his campaign to flush out military leadership and he and Secretary Pete Hegseth working together have assured that the high ranking officers in the military are not women.  The Military Times of March 17, 2025 has reported that the Trump Administration has “cleared the military of most of its top female ranking officers, disappointing many women veterans and active-duty personnel”.  The female Commandant of the Coast Guard, female Chief of Naval Operations, and female Superintendent of the US Naval Academy were all removed. Hegseth removed two women from the promotions list for the Army and two from the list for the Marines contrary to the recommendations of military advisors.

The Administration has reduced Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs in the military; has removed web content highlighting women’s achievements in the military; and despite the years it took to provide for women in combat, has initiated a review of women in ground combat positions.

Voting Rights

As if these actions were not enough, the Trump Administration is now engaged in an unprecedented effort to make it more difficult to vote for everyone, and in particular for women, to vote.

Trump has been brow-beating Congress to enact the so-called “SAVE America Act”, which is designed to construct barriers to voting for everyone.    Among other things, this proposal would require “documentary proof” of citizenship, including a birth certificate or passport, to register to vote.  And the documents would have to match the person’s current name.  This provision is particularly insidious for women, many of whom change their names when they marry (or when they divorce).  In such cases, a birth certificate or passport likely would not match the person’s current name. Obtaining such documents is not cheap.  It would disenfranchise less well-off people – indeed it is being called a “poll tax”, prohibited by the 24^th Amendment to the Constitution.

Conclusion

President Trump has never personally met the women who are victimized by his policies.  His approach makes life harder for many of them and their children, and accordingly, it harms all of us. We all have a stake in this.

P4D’s focus is on electing Democrats in both the House and Senate because, regardless of gender, they will support women and girls against some of these serious Trump administration assaults.  We also note that a number of these candidates are terrific women running for office.  We introduce several of them on our Contribute to Candidates page.