Trump Cabinet picks accused of sexual misconduct are blow to #MeToo movement

This is an extract adapted from November 24 “Ayman” episode.

The phrase “We are not going back” was a pillar of Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign. Harris pledged to move America forward, which included not returning to (or reacting to) the misogynistic culture that gave rise to the #MeToo movement.

But after Harris’ loss to Donald Trump, It appears that the president-elect is on something of a revenge tour against the movement, which is reflected in some of his cabinet picks.

Trump’s picks could be seen as an “Anti-#MeToo Cabinet.” And, unfortunately, that nickname remains valid despite Matt Gaetz’s retirement as Trump’s chosen attorney general. Gaetz withdrew his name from the race amid allegations of sexual misconduct. The Justice Department investigated sex trafficking allegations against him, but concluded the investigation last year without filing charges. A woman testified before the House Ethics Committee that she saw Gaetz having sex with her 17-year-old friend at a 2017 party. the woman’s attorney told NBC News. The attorney said his client did not believe Gaetz knew his 17-year-old friend was a minor at the time. Gaetz has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

However, there are still several other Cabinet picks who are embroiled in allegations of sexual abuse or misconduct. There’s Trump’s pick for defense secretary, former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, who is facing scrutiny over a woman’s allegation that he sexually assaulted her at a hotel in 2017.

A report from the Monterey Police Department details the accuser’s account, claiming that Hegseth took her phone and prevented her from leaving her hotel room before sexually assaulting her. Hegseth was not charged, has denied wrongdoing and says The meeting was consensual. His attorney acknowledged that Hegseth paid the woman as part of a settlement.

Despite this, Hegseth still has Trump’s backing and the support of some Republican senators.

There are also Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s election to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. In July, Kennedy was accused of groping one of his family’s former nannies in the 1990s. When asked about it on a podcast this summer, Kennedy did not deny the allegations. instead of saying He was not a “church kid” and had “a lot of skeletons in (his) closet.”

Then there’s Linda McMahon, Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Education. She and her husband, Vince McMahon, founded the wrestling entertainment company now known as WWE. both are accused of knowing and failing to arrest the sexual exploitation of young children by a front-row announcer.

The demand, filed in October, alleges that five children were sexually abused by the organization’s announcer and ring crew chief, Melvin Phillips Jr., who died in 2012. The McMahons are accused of criminal negligence in the lawsuit for allowing Phillips remained with the company for years. McMahon’s attorney has called the allegations false.

And if he’s not a Cabinet member, he’s a member of Trump’s inner circle embroiled in scandal. Take your new billionaire best friend, Elon Musk, for example. While we’re told Musk will play a more external role, leading the Department of Government Efficiency, he certainly has Trump’s ear.

Musk and his company, SpaceX, are currently being sued by former employees alleging that Musk ordered their firings after they accused the company of tolerating sexual harassment in the workplace.

The lawsuit alleges that Musk “runs his company in the dark ages, treating women as sexual objects who must be evaluated based on their bra size, bombarding the workplace with lewd sexual jokes, and offering those who challenge the workplace environment ‘Casa de los Animales’ the reply that if “If they don’t like it, they can look for employment elsewhere.”

SpaceX did not respond to NBC News’ request for comment. A spokesperson said The Wall Street Journal that his reporting on the lawsuit and culture at SpaceX painted “a completely misleading narrative” of the company.

When Trump won in 2016, helped spark the rise of #MeToo movement, which still seeks to hold powerful men accountable if they abuse their power. But it also sparked a nasty backlash from conservatives who, unfortunately, see #MeToo as a threat.

But let’s not forget who heads this “Anti-#MeToo Cabinet”: Trump, a man who has been found responsible for sexually abusing and defaming E. Jean Carroll and a man who campaigned claiming he would protect women “Whether they like it or not.”

Allison Detzel contributed.

Ayman Mohyeldin

Ayman Mohyeldin is an MSNBC anchor who has long reported on the Middle East and the Arab world. He is the host of “Ayman”, which airs Saturdays and Sundays at 7 pm EST.

Andres Kenlon contributed.