President Donald Trump and his administration are continuing their apparent quest to erase all evidence of the Obama administration legacy. The latest victim? The “Let Girls Learn” program, a signature girls education initiative promoted by former first lady Michelle Obama.
Or so it seems. When news broke of the program being spiked, the White House appeared to backtrack hours later by saying that it had not been changed, CNN reports.
CNN first broke the story after an internal memo was leaked.
“Moving forward, we will not continue to use the ‘Let Girls Learn’ brand or maintain a stand-alone program,” read an email sent to Peace Corps employees this week of the programs started in 2015. The “Let Girls Learn” program focuses on providing educational opportunities for young girls in developing countries under the umbrella of the Peace Corps and United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
But when approached for comment, the White House said no such changes were in place. “There have been no changes to the program,” said Kelly Love, a White House spokeswoman.
USAID confirmed this update, also adding that “the administration supports policies and programs to empower adolescent girls, including efforts to educate them through the completion of secondary school.“
The Peace Corps also confirmed that the program was still in place though it is not clear if it will keep the “Let Girls Learn” branding.