Fiona Hill. Jennifer Williams. Laura Cooper. Marie Yovanovitch. The names making headlines during the Trump impeachment inquiry are largely women’s.
That’s why the Christian Science Monitor has designated powerful women the “rock stars” of the impeachment probe.
When top Russia expert Fiona Hill appeared before the House Intelligence Committee Thursday, she became the latest in a series of powerful, professional women on both sides of the dais who have emerged as major figures in the impeachment investigation into President Donald Trump.
From veteran civil servants to outspoken lawmakers, women have held a prominence throughout these proceedings that stands in contrast to other high-profile congressional hearings—in large part because their roles have had nothing to do with their gender…
The contrast is all the more notable, because gender has had particular resonance throughout the Trump presidency. Women have been among the president’s loudest critics, from the Women’s Marches that swept the country after his inauguration to the suburban women who led the Democratic wave during the 2018 midterms. They have also been among his fiercest defenders, including his daughter, Ivanka, and adviser Kellyanne Conway, who became the first woman to manage a winning presidential campaign.
The Trump era began with a female nominee failing to break the presidential glass ceiling, and now features a record number of women running for the White House. Misogyny has been uncovered in workplaces, government and online, and a hashtag has taken down a number of powerful men.
In such a gender-sensitive environment, it has been striking, observers say, to see women calmly showcasing their experience, expertise and political savvy in a high-stakes affair that has nothing to do with gender.
The impeachment inquiry has largely been driven by feminist lawmakers, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the outspoken female Representatives asking urgent and hard-hitting questions of experts and witnesses who have come before Congress to speak on the matter. Women voters are also more likely than men to support efforts to hold the president accountable for any wrongdoing.
Click here to read the full piece in the Christian Science Monitor.
