In her eight years as First Lady, Michelle Obama worked to promote education and health initiatives for children in our country and abroad. Now, according to reports, Donald Trump’s administration is rolling back the efforts she made.
When her husband took office, Michelle Obama launched a campaign to provide children with healthier meal options, eventually leading to stricter meal requirements in federally funded schools — limiting salt and fat while increasing whole grains, fruit, and veggies options in cafeterias across the country.
On Monday, the Trump administration’s newly appointed agricultural secretary, Sonny Perdue, announced plans to roll back those requirements, providing more “regulatory flexibility,” for school lunches.
“If kids aren’t eating the food, and it’s ending up in the trash, they aren’t getting any nutrition, thus undermining the intent of the program,” Perdue said, according to USA Today.
But critics call the move dangerous, claiming it puts business interests before the needs of children.
Meanwhile, the future of another program the former first lady launched is in question. Let Girls Learn was founded in 2015 to provide adolescent girls the education they deserve by investing in programs globally. But, according to a CNN report early Monday, the Trump administration planned to pull it.
Around the world, 62 million girls are not in school. Follow @USAID to see what you can do to help #LetGirlsLearnhttps://t.co/X706MT7FXr
— Let Girls Learn (@letgirlslearn) June 20, 2014
“Moving forward, we will not continue to use the ‘Let Girls Learn’ brand or maintain a stand-alone program,” read an internal email sent to Peace Corps employees by LGL’s Sheila Crowley and obtained by CNN.
As the news spread, Twitter responded immediately.
Trump is ending Michelle Obama's "Let Girls Learn" ed program but he's willing to tell the girls where they could stand to lose a few lbs.
— John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) May 1, 2017
45 is systematically dismantling "Let Girls Learn" & any other Obama-era programs out of pure jealousy & vindictiveness. Small Man Syndrome.
— Cathy A. (@catmandu13) May 1, 2017
of course nothing threatens @realDonaldTrump more than educated women #LetGirlsLearn
— sofia khan (@sofiajkhan) May 1, 2017
RT if you prefer our tax dollars were used to fund the "Let Girls Learn" initiative instead of to pay for Trump's weekly golf outings.
— Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) May 1, 2017
He can shut down programs, but never our movement. Let's make sure the spirit of empowerment & compassion behind #LetGirlsLearn lives on. pic.twitter.com/yepFOF3hZp
— Shannon Coulter (@shannoncoulter) May 1, 2017
Now 45 has killed Michelle Obama's "Let Girls Learn" program. Unbelievable! And people wonder why we marched!!!
— Karen Warren (@Kren3) May 1, 2017
Shortly after social media outrage began to spring up, the White House disputed the report that the initiative was being terminated. “There have been no changes to the program,” Kelly Love, a White House spokeswoman, told CNN.
But, the site notes, “the White House did not say whether Let Girls Learn would be maintained in the future as a standalone program — and they also did not directly address the memo or why it had been sent.”
Tell us what you think on Twitter @BritandCo.
(h/t CNN; photo via Chip Somodevilla/Getty)
