The Disappearing Women of Trump’s Second Term

Vanishing Act

The Disappearing Women of Trump’s Second Term 

What’s going on: President Donald Trump has been in office (this time) for only a year and change, and it’s already been a tough one for the girls. The Washington Post notes that more women in Cabinet and senior positions have left at this point in Trump’s second term compared to any previous administration. The departures have come in different forms: Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard stepped down, former Attorney General Pam Bondi and former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem were fired, and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned. So far, they’ve all been replaced by men. Meanwhile, according to The Post’s tracker, only 14.53% of Trump’s nominees and confirmed political appointees have been women this term, compared to 52.5% under former President Joe Biden. Overall, one Brookings Institution analysis found this is the least diverse US government this century, with fewer people of color in power as well. 

Sounds like a giant step back: Doesn’t it? Trump has hired fewer women this time around than in his first administration. However, his team will tell you they’re proud to have some women in key senior staff spots. Exhibit A: Susie Wiles, the first woman chief of staff, who famously said she was neither an “enabler” nor a “b*tch.” Same, Susie. It’s true Wiles holds unprecedented power in the White House full of “Susie people.” But one woman (or even 14% of them) is not enough. Having women in power is key to advocating for critical legislation. We saw this with former US Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s crusade to release the Epstein files and in women-led pushes for fertility and paid leave benefits — fights men might have lower on their lists, if they think about them at all. Guess this also adds fuel to the fire around this telling picture from Trump’s China visit. 

Related: How High-Power Women End Up on the “Glass Cliff” (USC)

The News in 6

🗞️ Yesterday, Graham Platner (D-ME) won a Senate nomination despite a campaign marred by scandal. And Nancy Mace (R-SC), who was on Trump’s bad side over Epstein files comments, lost the primary for governor.

🗞️ This major health debate could become our generation’s version of the War on Tobacco, and it could change snacking forever.

🗞️ The CDC and FDA are investigating a cheese recall that’s been linked to deadly listeria cases.

🗞️ NASA named its new Artemis III crew, including one astronaut who thanked his mom. Start fangirling now so you can be ahead of the curve.

🗞️ Pope Leo will bless this building that’s finally finished after 140 years of construction. And you thought your scaffolding was bad. 

🗞️ American sunscreens are leveling up after the FDA approved a new ingredient for the first time in 25 years. Now we just need a big hat, and we’re ready for the beach.

Critical Thinking

ChatGPT Ate My Homework

What’s going on: Back in our day, cheating meant copying a friend’s homework or scribbling answers onto your arm. Today, students ask ChatGPT to write essays, outline papers, and even do journal prompts. In a new NPR/Ipsos survey, nearly 60% of educators said AI is damaging trust between teachers and students: So many students use AI for assignments that teachers are coming up with inventive workarounds to make it impossible to hand your pen over to Claude. Some require essays to be completed in class, under their watchful eyes, or handwritten at home. “I can no longer assign papers because seventy to a hundred percent of the students will use AI,” one college professor told The New Yorker. Many teachers say that AI makes it harder for students to learn how to learn, eroding critical and creative thinking skills. At least folding the test answers so that they’d fit in your minuscule low-rise jeans pocket took some innovation.  

The next lesson: Many teachers aren’t opposed to AI. In fact, about 60% said they use it themselves. But the current strategy of AI-everywhere-all-the-time isn’t working. In a Gallup poll, just 18% of teachers said their school provides formal guidance on how AI tools should be used in the classroom. One professor told The New Yorker that this leaves faculty to wrestle with fundamental questions about what counts as student work, how to evaluate it, and how to preserve critical thinking. Some US teachers’ unions are now pushing to add guardrails, particularly for elementary school students. As Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, told The New York Times, “If we don’t find a way to call this out from an education perspective, I fear that we will lose a generation of kids.” Dropping cursive from the curriculum is one thing, but critical thinking skills is another.  

Related: Some College Students Can Now Major in AI (USA Today)

The Drinking Game 

Not-So-Happy Hour

What’s going on: We've got some sobering news, just in time for Aperol spritz season. Researchers behind a federally commissioned study (ordered during the Biden administration and just published independently in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs) reached a clear conclusion: One drink a day is plenty. Their report found alcohol has “no net positive health benefit” (sorry, red wine lovers). Moderate drinking is linked to early death, cancer, and heart and liver diseases, and going over one drink daily significantly increases the chances of alcohol-related death. The Trump administration struck a different tone when it released updated dietary guidelines in January. Instead of urging Americans to drink less, the USDA removed its longtime recommended limit of one or two drinks a day and touted alcohol as a “social lubricant.” That’s one way to sell it. 

Does this change things?: Yes and no. The study reinforces growing concerns about alcohol’s health risks and challenges current USDA guidance, which researchers say should be updated. It also matches a broader trend: Americans are drinking less and side-eyeing alcohol as unhealthy. That’s especially true for Gen Z, who tend to be more wellness-focused, “sober curious,” and more likely to socialize at the gym than the bar. Still, habits tend to swing over time, especially during stressful economic periods (ahem, like now) when drinking often rises again. Cheers?

Related: Gen Z Might Not Be Drinking More Responsibly After All (The Guardian)

Quick Hits

🥫 These 10 private-label brands could help shoppers shave a minimum of 58.5% off their grocery bill. Our carts are full.

🍼 These are the most popular baby names for 2026 so far, and one particular millennial TV show name is climbing the charts. Some names come with a color-coded spreadsheet.

🏀 This Knicks rallying cry has taken over TikTok, and we can't get it out of our heads. Shakespeare could never.

🍕 Pizza Hut is reviving its beloved millennial program, and there are rewards for kids and adults still holding onto their pins. A slice of (middle school) life.

🐣 Taylor and Tay Lautner shared a gender reveal video for their first child. We love this next chapter in Jacob’s story. 

🎨 If recreating a cozy English cottage is your idea of a good time, this centuries-old paint trend is for you.

We Needed This

On Our Calendar

Wednesday, June 10 

💖 Every Year After out on Prime Video 

Carley Fortune fans, take note: The eight-episode series based on the bestselling book is ready to stream — and the trailer is peak summer.

🥤 National Iced Tea Day

Celebrate with this Ina Garten recipe, which includes one surprising ingredient.

Psst…this is just the preview: Subscribe to the full Skimm+ calendar and never miss a moment.

Good Finds

Ali, Senior Commerce Director, here. Discovering a good product brings on a dopamine spike for myself and the shopping team. And sharing those products with Skimm’rs like yourself just about doubles it. Here are my recent good finds: 

• This Jen’s ice cream flavor paired with this one

• A hydrating face mist I now keep in my bag at all times

• The gummies I take before bed 

• A Hill House Home beach coverup I found on sale

Skimm'd by: Marisa Iallonardo, Molly Longman, Aryanna Prasad Bhullar, Erika W. Smith, Jessica Prois, Marina Carver, and Kylie McConville. Fact-checked by Sara Tardiff.