In a post on the social platform X, Hegseth called the “Women, Peace & Security” program at the Defense Department “a UNITED NATIONS program pushed by feminists and left-wing activists. Politicians fawn over it; troops HATE it.”

It was, in fact, bipartisan legislation that Trump signed into law in 2017 that recognized the role women have in achieving security goals, especially overseas when their male counterparts may not be able to question or have direct access to women for cultural or religious reasons.