When a new president comes into office, he or she has to fill over 1,000 positions throughout the federal government. These are appointed positions like cabinet members and attorneys general, some of which require senatorial approval. Beyond being remarkably slow to fill these positions, President Donald Trump has potentially nominated more men than any administration since Ronald Reagan, The Guardian reported.
It is the stuff of painfully true memes that Trump has made little effort to include women in decision-making efforts that directly affect their reproductive rights. Furthermore, in data collected and organized by American Bridge 21st Century, a progressive super PAC that monitors conservative political actions, and provided to The Guardian, the picture of the Trump administration's gender inequality becomes much clearer. As it stands, 80 percent of top job nominations have gone to men, according to the report.
“The Trump administration does not value women,” Emily Aden, American Bridge director, told The Guardian. “This is just the latest proof.”
Analysis of the report indicated that of the 408 nominees that Trump has submitted to the Senate, 327 have been men and 80 have been women. So far, only 129 have actually been approved. This means that men in high-ranking positions currently outnumber women four-to-one.
Under Presidents Obama and Clinton, by contrast, men outnumbered women five-to-two, and under President George W. Bush, that number was three-to-one, The Guardian reported.
Don Gips, the White House personnel director during the first six months of Obama's presidency, told The Guardian that, "if you're not intentional about [diversity], it won't happen."
Realistically, this isn't entirely surprising considering the president's track record with women. He has made multiple creepy remarks about his daughter and, in 2007, proposed a reality show about sending young women to debutante school. And, of course, there's also the infamous genital-grabbing statement in which he, arguably, brags about his own sexual assault capabilities.
Just about any time a woman upsets him, Trump goes after her in the cheapest way possible — by insulting her appearance. In June, he lashed out at Morning Joe co-host Mika Brzezinski during a feud, claiming that she was “bleeding badly from a face-lift” during a prior social interaction. "Look at that face!" Trump also said of then-opponent Carly Fiorina back in 2015. "Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president?!" Then, back in 2012, he derided Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington as "unattractive inside and out." The list goes on and on.
Trump ran on a platform of breaking norms, of not being a career politician. When that stance is coupled with a demonstrable lack of respect for women, it's not entirely surprising that he would disregard what would probably be a more politically correct, or even politically savvy, move toward gender parity in his administration. But that doesn't mean the trend is without consequence.
Having women in leadership positions isn't just a matter of democratic equality, it's also a scientifically-backed way to diversify leadership styles. For example, women are more likely to encourage participation among team members and are more likely to "reward good performance." However, Trump, who markets himself as a practical businessman, doesn't seem to buy into this approach.
Of course, as the Republican Sen. Michael Enzi of Wyoming is credited with saying, "If you're not at the table, you're on the menu." It's important to have women in top-ranking government positions because it's one step toward ensuring that women's issues are being represented. The same is true of all under-represented groups, too. Unfortunately, so far, Trump seems to have little interest in hiring people who don't look and sound just like him.
