The Revenge of the Me-Too Martyrs

Many view President Donald J. Trump’s Access Hollywood tape, released shortly before the 2016 election, as a catalyst for the #MeToo movement that empowered women to report abuses experienced at the hands of powerful men. The new Trump administration appears set to represent a significant pendulum swing, bringing back a permissive approach to claims of sexual harassment and abuse.  

Barely a week into the interregnum between his election victory and inauguration, President-elect Donald J. Trump sent shockwaves through America’s political class and public with his selection for U.S. Attorney General: Matt Gaetz, a firebrand Florida congressman known not only for his commitment to the MAGA doctrine but for allegations with “substantial evidence” of pedophilia and sex trafficking. The choice seemed intended to provoke outrage, but was also indicative of an air of invincibility within the Trump camp. Gaetz eventually stepped down but was, in fact, only one of several cabinet selections with a checkered past of sexual indiscretions. In his choices, Trump is revealing not just an apathy towards sexual assault and harassment, but seemingly a celebration of it: Trump and his selections represent a furious rebuke of progressive efforts to highlight the improprieties of allegedly sexually entitled men, who now intend to revel in their untouchability.  

Trump’s Insistence on Hiring Those With Credible Allegations Against Them 

In the infiltration of accused sexual harassers into government, the tone has been set from the very top. President Trump has an extended history of accusations against him, including at least twenty-six known allegations. In May 2023, Trump was found liable for sexual abuse against writer E. Jean Carroll in a New York civil court. Trump revealed his disregard for sexual harassment allegations during his first administration when he pushed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh through a bruising but ultimately successful supplemental hearing over a sexual assault allegation. Since his second election victory, he has doubled down on his success in his controversial cabinet selections.  

Beyond Gaetz, the nomination of Fox News host Pete Hegseth has brought forth a long history of sexual improprieties, summarized in Jane Mayer’s New Yorker expose. Most notably, Hegseth’s rap sheet includes a rape allegation dating to 2017. The public infidelities in his first two marriages led his mother to pen him a letter decrying him as “an abuser of women” who “belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around, and uses women for his own power and ego” and his ex-sister-in-law claimed in an affidavit to the Armed Services Committee that he was “abusive” and exhibited “erratic and aggressive behavior.” Hegseth also has allegations of repeatedly being driven out of jobs for ritual drunkenness and predatory behavior, which he denies.  

Similarly, the past of Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shows not only his participation in a high-profile extramarital affair during his presidential campaign, but sexual harassment allegations over the repeated unwanted touching of a family nanny decades ago. Further, Trump’s pick for Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, recently had a lawsuit paused that claimed she enabled child sexual abuse while leading World Wrestling Entertainment in the 1980s. And the choice for Ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, was forced from Fox News over sexual harassment claims, including that a female assistant was “frequently required to work at Guilfoyle’s New York apartment while the Fox host displayed herself naked, and was shown photographs of the genitalia of men with whom Guilfoyle had had sexual relations.” And regarding the new Department of Government Efficiency to be led by Elon Musk, eight former employees of Musk’s SpaceX recently sued the CEO after alleging that Musk “knowingly and purposefully created an unwelcome hostile work environment based upon his conduct of interjecting into the workplace vile sexual photographs, memes, and commentary that demeaned women and/or the LGBTQ+ community.” The Wall Street Journal, meanwhile, reported that he repeatedly propositioned staffers for sex.  

What it Means for Trump 2.0 

It is entirely possible that Trump’s nominations are purely psychological: a veritable nose-thumbing issued by a man who has sought to troll and “own the libs” his entire political career. This was precisely the assessment made by Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who deduced that Trump was engaging in “God-tier kind of trolling just to trigger a meltdown.” 

But more cynical interpretations might point to a darker future for American women and other minoritized groups. There are, for instance, direct implications for women working in government agencies led by these figures. In the Department of Defense’s case, women serving in combat roles will soon encounter an existential threat to their careers. Despite his recent change in rhetoric, in Hegseth’s stated ideal military, his cabinet colleague Tulsi Gabbard (the Director of National Intelligence nominee) would never have served in the Iraq War, nor would Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), a key swing vote in his confirmation (Ernst is also a sexual assault survivor). Notably, both Gabbard and Ernst reached higher ranks in the U.S. Army than Hegseth.  

Perhaps even more concerning implications await employees at RFK’s Department of Health and Human Services. According to Puck, and verified by the Trump transition team, RFK’s employee application form includes response options for candidates such as “I don’t have much interest in having sexual experiences with another person” and “I consistently use my physical appearance to draw attention to myself.” It was later revealed that the form was hosted by a site owned by Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson, who has himself admitted to being accused of sexual impropriety. These incidents forecast a permissive work culture in a second Trump administration that is already foregrounded by a record of “countless cases” of “impropriety” within Trump’s first term, according to the former Communications Director Alyssa Farah Griffin.  

The entrenchment of toxic masculinity and sexual dominance into the heart of American governance will also likely create a less welcoming environment for women, especially diverse women, in positions of political power. For one, barely a third of Trump’s cabinet picks to date are women, and “Of the more than two dozen Cabinet and staff members Trump has nominated, there are nearly as many accused sexual abusers as there are women,” according to Jill Filipovic. Furthermore, many of the powerful women Trump has surrounded himself with have not shown that they will challenge any of his misogynistic or discriminatory policies. Equally worryingly, women who do appear to stand opposed to Trump’s chosen sexually entitled picks have been targeted by intimidations of political retribution. Ernst, who had voiced concerns over Hegseth’s nominations, was sent threats over social media, and a talk show host in her home state warned, “I think someone’s got to be made an example out of, whether it’s Joni or someone else.” 

More broadly, the normalization of alleged sexual criminality indicates even more regressive views on women’s role in society. Such an ideology was previewed long before the election, encapsulated in comments such as Fox News host Jesse Watters's quip that “if I found out [my wife] was going into the voting booth and pulling the lever for Harris, that’s the same thing as having an affair.” The MAGA movement’s main audience was also revealed by future White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller, who tweeted on election day, “If you know any men who haven’t voted, get them to the polls.” In the sole act of bringing names of candidates who have been accused or found guilty of sexual harassment for consideration for top positions leading the government, a message is sent to the public that renders these crimes as insignificant in regards to service in the government, alongside broader approval that legitimizes crimes related to violence against women. 

What can we do? 

Credible allegations of sexual impropriety should be disqualifying for government service, not least for leadership positions in cabinet agencies. And if there is good news here, most Americans seem to agree. According to a recent YouGov poll, 62 percent of respondents agreed that allegations of sexual assault should disqualify a candidate from a cabinet role (shockingly, 16 percent of respondents did not think allegations of having sex with a minor was disqualifying). 

However, such polls do not account for a more damaging implication: the politicization and disinformation surrounding cases of sexual violence and harassment have engineered a growing tendency around Trump’s support base to trust defendants over the judicial process. After Trump was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation against E. Jean Carroll, his support continued, with many claiming that the decision from a jury of their peers was not justified. Another YouGov poll revealed that prior to the results of the case, only 6 percent of 2020 Trump voters believed Carroll, and more surprisingly, only 37 percent of all surveyed believed her. The lack of public outcry in Trump’s appointments—including from Pam Bondi, chosen to replace Gaetz as U.S. Attorney General, claiming that Trump’s criminal cases were “weaponizing our legal system”— emboldens Trump’s actions, and the allegations against his cabinet picks are given impunity. As sexual violence and harassment become normalized, the justice-seeking process for survivors will face increasing headwinds. The already low reporting rates amongst women who have experienced violence and harassment, especially in professional and political settings, will only remain or worsen.  

Moreover, the prevalence of alleged sexual abusers at senior government levels suggests that such behavior will only continue, providing substantial risks for women seeking out political positions. In the aftermath of the November results, misogynistic, homophobic, and racist hate speech increased, with “your body, my choice” for instance trending online. Recent studies show how little these harmful comments are regulated on social media, with Instagram failing to report over 93 percent of attacks against female politicians and lawmakers, and X often refusing to suspend harmful content or accounts (Musk, for his part, recently reposted a tweet gushing that “Masculinity is back. Great men are ascendant. And just in time. We’re going to need them”). As content moderation is reduced, such attacks are likely to grow. 

By emboldening cabinet picks with clear allegations against them to seek out the highest positions in power, the Trump administration’s promise to protect women “whether the women like it or not” portends what will likely be a continued onslaught of policy rollbacks that reduce protections for marginalized groups, including women and girls.