Donald Trump presented himself as a patriot and pro-family during his presidential campaign. His latest brainchild, a National Medal of Motherhood for women, is a proposal that he pitches as patriotic and beneficial to America. However, this proposal is a shocking attempt to send the U.S. back to an era long forgotten. Trump’s policy is not pro-family in any way but rather a form of fertility propaganda that opposes modern values.
What’s worse is that this medal is similar to Nazi Germany’s Cross of Honor of the German Mother. Just like the proposed National Medal of Motherhood, the Cross of Honor of the German Mother was intended to encourage German women to have more children to maintain Aryan bloodlines.
Such a connection is a major cause for concern, but Trump says this policy is just a way to honor motherhood and the family.
Modern Problems Require Ancient Solutions?
The president’s administration claims that America is experiencing a declining birth rate, which is why measures such as this must be adopted. Although there was a decline in previous years, there was a 1% increase in births in 2024, with 3,622,673 births recorded, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). So, it’s not as bad as the Republicans are painting it.
Even if it was, the reality is that such a medal and even the proposed $5,000 baby bonuses are distractions. They offer no solution for the present-day issues related to childbirth and care.
Today’s families deal with systemic challenges. Based on statistics from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in 2023, 74% of all mothers were in the labor force. In other words, mothers have to work simply to ensure the family survives. Still, the U.S. president expects these women to have more children without thinking through how flimsy the present support network is.
Patriarchy Rebranded
We discover a more malicious goal when we take a further look at this policy. This sadistic rebranding of patriarchy is not about honoring mothers but controlling them. Such a demand just drives the nation backwards, therefore reducing the roles of women to childbearing. It ignores all the progress toward inclusive family planning, autonomy, and equality.
This policy is anti-modern in a world where IVF, surrogacy, and gender equity exist. America needs policies for modern problems, not baby medals.
Read Next: How Trump’s America Is Making Violence Against Women the New Normal