Trump Creates NIH Women's Health Division And White House Task Force
President Donald Trump signed an executive order creating an NIH women's health division and a White House Women's Health Task Force at a Rose Garden ceremony on Monday, October 19, 2026.[1]
The order names the White House Women's Health Task Force and the NIH office, and the panel was scheduled to hold its first meeting the same day.[1] First lady Melania Trump said, "Beginning today we will change the reality of women's health," calling the effort this generation's fight to discover cures for diseases affecting women.[1] White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, who recently completed treatment for breast cancer, will co-lead the task force with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.[1] President Trump said he was surprised NIH did not already have a women's health division, asking, "Are you sure they don't have that?" and adding, "Who the hell wouldn't have a women's health division?" PBS
The executive order directs the task force to target maternal health, mental health, endometriosis, Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, heart disease and stroke.[1] It instructs federal agencies to bolster research and diagnostic technology for women's health but does not set specific funding goals.[1]
The rollout is presented as part of Melania Trump's second-term portfolio, which has included foster care work and promoting technology and artificial intelligence access in education.[1] PBS also noted AP-NORC polling showing Trump's support among independent women fell from about four in ten during 2024 to roughly a quarter in early 2026, and the announcement comes weeks before the November 3, 2026, midterm elections.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Monday, October 19, 2026, President Donald Trump held a Rose Garden ceremony and signed the executive order creating the NIH women's health division and the White House Women's Health Task Force, with the panel scheduled to hold its first meeting that same day.
- First lady Melania Trump said, "Beginning today we will change the reality of women's health," framing the initiative as this generation's fight to discover cures for diseases affecting women, according to the PBS report on the rollout.first lady Melania Trump
- White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, who recently completed treatment for breast cancer, will co-lead the new task force alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
- President Donald Trump expressed surprise that NIH lacked a dedicated women's health division, recounting he asked the first lady, "Are you sure they don't have that?" and adding, "Who the hell wouldn't have a women's health division?"
- The task force is directed by the order to focus on maternal health, mental health, endometriosis, Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, heart disease and stroke.
- The order instructs agencies to bolster research and diagnostic technology for women's health but does not include specific funding goals.
- PBS places the rollout within Melania Trump's broader second-term portfolio (including prior focus on foster care and technology/AI access in education) and notes AP-NORC polling showed Trump's support among independent women fell from about four in ten in 2024 to around a quarter in early 2026 as the announcement came weeks before the November 3, 2026 midterm elections (AP-NORC polling).
📰 Source Timeline (2)
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- On Monday, October 19, 2026, President Donald Trump held a Rose Garden ceremony where he signed the executive order creating the NIH women's health division and the White House Women's Health Task Force, with the panel scheduled to hold its first meeting that same day.
- The article reports extended on-camera remarks from first lady Melania Trump, who said, "Beginning today we will change the reality of women's health," and framed the initiative as this generation's fight to discover cures for diseases affecting women.
- The piece specifies that White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, who recently completed treatment for breast cancer, will co-lead the new task force alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
- Trump expressed surprise that NIH lacked a dedicated women's health division, recounting that he asked the first lady, "Are you sure they don't have that?" and adding, "Who the hell wouldn't have a women's health division?"
- The executive order explicitly calls for targeting maternal health, mental health, endometriosis, Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, heart disease and stroke as part of the task force's focus.
- The article notes that the order does not include specific funding goals, even as it directs agencies to bolster research and diagnostic technology for women's health.
- The report situates the initiative within Melania Trump's broader second-term portfolio, noting her prior focus on foster care systems and technology/AI access in education.
- The piece adds political context, reporting that AP-NORC polling shows Trump's support among independent women fell from about 4 in 10 in the 2024 election period to around a quarter in early 2026, and that the rollout comes weeks before the November 3, 2026 midterm elections.