Trump Accused in Court of ‘Extreme Hostility’ to Women in Combat
A US Marine with the Female Engagement Team stand on guard in Musa Qala, Afghanistan.
Photographer: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images
Women in the U.S. military escalated their legal battle for equal footing in combat units, saying the Trump administration has shown “extreme hostility” toward integrating the armed services.
Almost five years after the Obama administration vowed to end gender barriers, the Service Women’s Action Network alleged in court Monday that Trump set the tone for a retreat when he faulted his predecessor on the campaign trail for pursuing a “politically correct military.” The women say the president’s chief of staff, Marine General John Kelly, and Defense Secretary James Mattis also have shown an “animus toward women soldiers” and promoted their continued exclusion from combat units.