For his next cabinet, President-elect Trump is surrounding himself with white men who see themselves as all-powerful and institutionalize misogyny. These appointments and the program reflect an assertive predatory project. New piece on Substack, on November 30, 2024.

The withdrawal of Matt Gaetz, once tipped to become Attorney General, does not change a thing: Donald Trump’s choices for his cabinet, not to mention his agenda reflect, among other things, a desire for vengeance upon #MeToo. The feminist movement, born of the Weinstein affair, the Women’s Marches, and numerous global influences, took shape in the United States during the first year of Trump’s first term. And this is by no means a coincidence. The 47th President knows very well that the primary force of opposition to his policies and person have been, are, and will be feminists. That is why he intends to fight them.

Let’s be clear: this is not just about rolling back the gains of feminism. It is about institutionalizing misogyny, starting with words, for a “broligarchy” of white men who think they are all-powerful and unaccountable in their lives and businesses. As is Nick Fuentes, the notorious white supremacist, anti-Semite and opponent of women’s suffrage, who made a video after November 5 (“Your body, my choice. Forever”) in which, like a cackling devil, he rejoices over this promise of war on women. Another example is given by a former member of the Trump campaign and Project 2025 advisor, John McEntee, who filmed himself saying, “You did not understand when we were defending ‘mail-only’ voting. We meant ‘male,’ m-a-l-e.”

In addition, several possible members of the Trump II cabinet have a “troubled” history of sexual violence, which makes us assume this is a criterion for recruitment by a president himself convicted in civil cases and accused by some 30 women of rape or sexual assault. Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court in 2018 was therefore a test. Matt Gaetz, who had been shortlisted for Justice and then gave up, had caused a stir in the press. Elected to the House of Representatives from Florida (where he does not wish to return), he was under judicial and parliamentary investigation for rape, sex trafficking and drug use. Among his many statements is this one: “Women who use contraception are too ugly to get pregnant”.

So, Gaetz is out. That leaves, at least, the possible future ministers of Defense, Health and Education. Pete Hegseth is Trump’s choice for the Pentagon. This Fox News anchor, while maintaining that the relationship was consensual, had a woman sign a confidentiality agreement, after she accused him of rape in 2017. In addition, he believes female soldiers are not fit for leading combat positions. Linda McMahon is well on her way to becoming Minister of Education. Co-founder of World Wrestling Entertainment, a company specializing in the organization of wrestling races, she was investigated for complicity in sex trafficking and abuse, the victims of which were young men recruited for the races – the “ring boys”. She too denies the facts. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he “does not remember” repeatedly touching his children’s baby-sitter, who accused him in the 1990s.

A predatory project

In addition to his appointments, the next president’s program reflects a clear commitment to predation. Predation on nature, first of all, with the likely abandonment of most environmental policies, or even the disappearance of agencies in charge of preserving the climate, biodiversity and animals, and the revival of fossil industries. Then there is the predation on science, with the planned de-funding of numerous research programs, including in the health sector, continued attacks on the humanities and social sciences, and the promotion of negationism (on the history of slavery, for example). Added to this will be suppressing women’s rights (health, employment) and minorities’ rights (mass expulsions, cancellation of anti-discrimination policies, etc.).

Opponents and critics are also targeted, and even put on “lists”, as “enemies”. Men and women in law and politics, journalists, authors and academics are promised a full-scale witch-hunt, aided by the surveillance and harassment tools of social networks. Trump aims at scaring and silencing dissonant political voices, while extolling free speech. The president-elect, flouting the separation of powers, is already threatening Republican senators if they do not support his appointments, and intends to use the Justice Department to settle scores with prosecutor Jack Smith (who has just dropped out election subversion and classified documents cases against Donald Trump), to validate the existence of (non-existent) fraud in the 2020 presidential election and to pardon the January 6 insurgents. Brutality as a mode of governance.

2017 was the year of anti-Trump feminist mobilization, with a global echo.

Let’s wait and see 2025.