Story highlights President Trump has nominated 41 men for US attorney jobs, but only one woman

(CNN) Of the 42 people President Donald Trump has nominated as US attorneys, the chief federal prosecutors throughout the country, only one is a woman.

The pattern raises the prospect of a shift in how the nation's laws would be enforced and underscores Trump's broader lack of diversity in appointments, starting at the top with his Cabinet, which is dominated by white men.

Nominating only one woman out of 42 also cannot help but recall prior episodes of Trump's treatment of women, from the sexually aggressive comments the "Access Hollywood" tape revealed during the campaign to his move in April permitting states to withhold federal money from Planned Parenthood and other organizations that provide abortion services.

Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions have vowed a tougher law enforcement agenda, with the harshest charges possible and ramped up seizures of suspects' property. As the White House sent more names to the Senate on Monday, bringing Trump's US attorney candidates to 42, it became clear that nearly all those in control of the agenda will be men.

That is a striking gender gap for one of the most consequential law enforcement roles nationwide. Trump's pattern also marks a significant departure from President Barack Obama's effort to build diversity among US attorneys.

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