Transgender-identifying Rep. Sarah McBride suggested Tulsi Gabbard could be the next Trump administration official fired, arguing President Donald Trump “only fires women,” even as both men and women have exited the administration, including several women whom Democrats had already called to remove.
Asked who could be the next official fired, McBride responded, “All of them deserve to be fired. I’m supporting the impeachment of Pete Hegseth because obviously right now we are engaged in a reckless war of choice that he was a primary driver of, but we know this president, he only fires women, so my guess is Tulsi Gabbard.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) echoed that view in recent remarks, asking if Trump had “run out of women” to fire and saying it “seems to be his pattern right now.” She added that Trump “only seems to have the capability to fire female secretaries,” while contending that “if you’re a man in the Trump administration, it seems that they reward misconduct.”
Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), made a similar argument earlier this month, pointing to the departures of Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem as evidence of what she described as a broader pattern affecting women in Trump’s administration. In an Instagram video, she said, “no woman is safe in Trump’s Republican Party,” arguing that women are elevated only as long as they “serve the interests of the patriarch at the top,” and describing the situation as a “war on all women.”
McBride’s claim comes after several officials exited the administration, including former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, former Attorney General Pam Bondi, former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, former Director of the National Counterterrorism Center Joe Kent, and, most recently, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan.
Several of the women who departed the administration had previously faced calls from Democrats for their removal or impeachment. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) said, “everyone in America is safer because of Kristi Noem’s firing,” while Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) said there was “exhilaration” that Noem was gone. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) said Noem’s “corruption” and “lawlessness” were “going to bring her down.”
Trump announced Noem would leave DHS to become special envoy for The Shield of the Americas, with Sen. Markwayne Mullin selected to replace her. Trump said Noem had “served us well.”
Bondi also faced backlash from the Democratic Party and reportedly relocated to a military base near Washington, DC, after receiving a wave of threats tied to her handling of the Epstein-related investigation. Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) said support for holding Bondi in contempt was “growing,” Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) said removal “has to be on the table,” and Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA) introduced articles of impeachment against her.
Trump stated this month that Bondi would leave her role as attorney general to take a position in the private sector, adding, “Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country, with Murders plummeting to their lowest level since 1900.”
Former Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer left the administration this week to take a position in the private sector, the White House announced, with an official saying she had done a “phenomenal job” in the role. Her tenure, however, was marked by reported internal investigations, allegations of misconduct, and multiple staff departures from the agency.
Joe Kent resigned as director of the National Counterterrorism Center on March 17 over his opposition to Trump’s war against Iran, writing that he could not “in good conscience support the ongoing war” and did not believe Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States.
Secretary of the Navy John Phelan left the administration on Wednesday, with the Pentagon announcing his departure was effective immediately. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the department was “grateful” for Phelan’s service, while Under Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao was tapped to serve as acting secretary.
Democrats have also targeted Hegseth, with Rep. Shri Thanedar introducing articles of impeachment tied to a U.S. military strike in the Caribbean, with the articles expected to accuse him of “Murder and Conspiracy to Murder and Reckless and Unlawful Mishandling of Classified Information.” Rep. Yassamin Ansari said she would introduce articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth over actions during Trump’s war against Iran, alleging he “repeatedly violated his oath of office and his duty to the Constitution,” as well as committed “repeated war crimes, including bombing a girls’ school in Minab, Iran and willfully targeting civilian infrastructure.”
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Gabbard had received public backing from the White House after reports and rumors about her status. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had “full confidence” in Gabbard and said she had not heard Trump say Gabbard’s job was in jeopardy. Two days later, Trump was asked whether Gabbard’s job was “still safe as DNI” and responded, “I thought she did a good job yesterday,” after Gabbard appeared before the Senate and House Intelligence Committees.
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