​​​​WASHINGTON

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday that he "proudly" ended a program at the Pentagon that boosts the leadership roles for women in the military.

Hegseth called the Women, Peace & Security (WPS) program "yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops — distracting from our core task: WAR-FIGHTING."

"WPS is a UNITED NATIONS program pushed by feminists and left-wing activists. Politicians fawn over it; troops HATE it," Hegseth wrote on X.

He added that the Pentagon will executive the minimum requirements of the program by federal statute, and fight to end it in the next budget.

The program was signed into law by President Donald Trump during his first term in 2017.

Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a top member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, blasted Hegseth for moving to end the program.

"Secretary Hegseth has absolutely no idea what he’s doing. This shortsighted, unlawful move to end the bipartisan Women, Peace and Security law—which President Trump signed into law during his first term—weakens America’s global standing," Shaheen said in a statement.

She stressed that Hegseth cannot unilaterally terminate the program Congress passed because "he doesn’t understand how the inclusion and participation of women in mediation and negotiation make a measurable difference in preventing, mitigating and resolving violent conflicts and keeping America safe."

"This is further proof that Secretary Hegseth is hopelessly in over his head in a role he was never qualified to hold,” she said. “President Trump was right that Secretary Hegseth needs to ‘get it together’ but today’s announcement is further evidence of how hopeless that cause is. Shame on the Secretary.”