Trump team seeks details on State Dept. women’s issues programs

President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team asked the State Department for information programs and positions related to women’s and gender issues, The Washington Post reports, sparking worries from some officials.
The Trump team sent State Department offices and bureaus a “Flash Transition Tasker” on Wednesday morning requesting full reports about “gender-related staffing, programming and funding.”
The request, obtained by the Post, shows the team specifically asking for information about programs that “promote gender equality, such as ending gender-based violence, promoting women’s participation in economic and political spheres, entrepreneurship, etc.”
{mosads}The request could be related to the role Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, is expected to take in the administration. She has said she wants to work on issues related to equal pay, paid maternity leave and child care.
The Post reports, however, that a State Department official is concerned the request could lead to a “witch hunt.”
“It’s not clear to us what the intent is behind this request,” the official said to the Post. “The Trump team could be looking to advance gender issues and make it a priority — or you could look at it as a witch hunt.”
It also comes on the heels of a similar request made earlier this month to the Department of Energy asking for a list of employees who worked on climate change issues.
Democrats and agency employees said they feared the information could be used to single out department employees whose views on climate differ from those of the incoming Trump administration. Trump is skeptical of climate science and has vowed to roll back President Obama’s climate agenda.
State Department employees expressed similar concerns about the new request.
“These types of requests send a cold chill through the Department and career diplomats dedicated to their work and service to the country,” said another State Department official.
“It’s devastating to morale.”
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.