Pete Hegseth Boasts of Ending 'Women, Peace & Security' Program Under President Trump

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth dismissed the Women, Peace & Security program, citing concerns over its direction
• WPS program was introduced in 2017 as a strategic component of U.S. national security
• Pete states that the WPS initiative has strayed from its core mission under the Biden administration

United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday, has condemned the ‘Women, Peace & Security’ (WPS) program as a politicized UN initiative, asserting it reflects activist influence rather than operational military priorities. Contrary to his portrayal on the program as a ‘woke’ effort, it was bipartisan initiative formally enacted by President Donald Trump and widely regarded as a strategic advancement in inclusive security leadership.

In his recent statement, Pete claimed credit for terminating the WPS initiative, accusing the Biden administration of misusing the program. He criticized what he described as the program’s shift from its foundational goals to a politically motivated agenda under Biden’s leadership. He asserted that while the program receives political praise, it is broadly unpopular among service members.

Following media reports highlighting the program’s origins under the Trump administration, Pete issued a clarification on X. He acknowledged that the WPS initiative was launched in 2017 with a clear national security focus but justified its termination by claiming the Biden administration has significantly altered its direction.

The WPS program had strong backing from Trump’s Cabinet and was later endorsed by Gen. Dan Caine, who credited it for enhancing field intelligence. Building on a 2000 UN Security Council resolution, the U.S. enacted the Women, Peace and Security Act in 2017, led by Kristi Noem and Jan Schakowsky in the House and Marco Rubio in the Senate.

In a post on X, Hegseth said, "This morning, I proudly ENDED the 'Women, Peace & Security' (WPS) program inside the @DeptofDefense. WPS is yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops — distracting from our core task: WAR-FIGHTING. WPS is a UNITED NATIONS program pushed by feminists and left-wing activists. Politicians fawn over it; troops HATE it. DoD will hereby executive the minimum of WPS required by statute, and fight to end the program for our next budget."

He said, "The woke & weak Biden Administration distorted & weaponized the straight-forward & security-focused WPS initiative launched in 2017. So—yes—we are ending the 'woke divisive/social justice/Biden (WPS) initiative.' Biden ruined EVERYTHING, including 'Women, Peace & Security'."