From caregivers to business owners, military spouses and LGBTQ+ families, The 19th asked Americans to share their concerns and the impact of Trump’s actions on their lives and communities.
The Senate voted 51-50 on Friday night to confirm Hegseth, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.
"We will forge a society that is colorblind and merit-based," President Donald Trump said in his inaugural address.
The secretary of defense nominee failed to provide evidence during his confirmation hearing to support his belief that the military has worsened by admitting women into more jobs.
In over three hours of questioning by the Senate Armed Services Committee, the secretary of defense nominee denied allegations of financial mismanagement, excessive drinking and sexual misconduct.
The 19th spoke to all of the Democratic women senators on the Senate Armed Services Committee about how they plan to press Trump's defense secretary pick.
“I can tell you without any equivocation that the number one abuse of human rights on Earth, strangely not addressed quite often, is the abuse of women and girls,” the former President said.
Eighteen women in Congress discuss their remaining trauma, their concern about the normalization of violence and their sense of duty to combat efforts to whitewash that day.
The 2025 National Defense Authorization Act includes provisions related to military spouses and child care — but notably excludes provisions that would have covered in vitro fertilization coverage for active-duty military and gender-affirming care for minors.
After years of bipartisan efforts to address sexual assault in the military, Trump’s pick to lead the Defense Department has been accused of sexual misconduct, which he has denied.