Number of women in top national security roles has fallen sharply under Trump, Senate Democrats find

October 30, 2026 / 9:00 AM EDT / CBS News

Washington — President Trump's second administration has overseen a steep decline in the number of women serving in senior U.S. diplomatic and national security posts and dismantled programs supporting women overseas, including initiatives the president championed during his first term, according to a new report by Democrats on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Commissioned by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the committee's top Democrat, the report describes a systematic reversal of policies Mr. Trump once supported, warning that the changes may be weakening American influence abroad and putting women's lives at risk.

"Supporting women and girls is not separate from advancing American interests — it is how we prevent conflict, strengthen our partners and compete," Shaheen said in a statement to CBS News. "This report documents the devastating consequences of the Administration's actions and makes clear the impact on America's national security."

Within the Trump administration, women now hold just 17.4% of Cabinet and Cabinet-level positions, compared with 52% during the Biden administration, according to the report. At the Pentagon, only eight of 201 candidates for senior military posts this year were women — about 4%, less than half…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/