A guest on “Meet the Press” Sunday turned the tables on an NBC panel questioning the qualifications of President-elect Donald Trump. Cabinet appointments in a tense exchange on air.
Host Kristen Welker discussed criticism of Democrats who argued that Trump’s Cabinet picks were underqualified, raising potential ethical issues and a lack of relevant experience for their respective roles.
When former White House press secretary Jen Psaki reiterated her own concerns about the lack of experience among some of the nominees, Hoover Institute fellow Lanhee Chen countered, pointing out that the current secretary of state Health and Social Services, Xavier Becerra, was appointed by President Biden. despite having a legal background that had no relation to the role assigned to him.
DEMOCRATS’ FURARY AGAINST “UNQUALIFIED” TRUMP NOMINEES PUT BIDEN’S STAFF DECISIONS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
President-elect Trump gestures during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
“We have already seen nominations from both parties that posed ethical and substantive problems,” Chen said. “Let’s not forget that we had a nominee for HHS Secretary in this administration who had never worked in health care before being nominated, so I think -”
Psaki, now an MSNBC host, chimed in: “But… look, I’m not here to defend him, but he was the attorney general of the state of California. It’s a little different…”
“So he had experience suing health care companies, but it had nothing to do with health care,” Chen countered.
“You can spend time talking about the controversial nominations, but the reality is there are some really good nominations here as well that I think don’t get a lot of attention and should because they’re important from a political point of view,” he said. the panel.
TRUMP’S QUICK CABINET SELECTIONS SHOW HIS ‘PRIORITY OF PUTTING AMERICA FIRST,’ TRANSITION TEAM SAYS
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attends an America First Policy Institute gala at Mar-a-Lago Estate, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Democrats in Congress and the media have criticized Trump’s Cabinet nominees for their qualifications, including veteran Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense; South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security; Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., as attorney general; and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Biden also faced criticism from Republicans that several members of his administration lacked key qualities needed to carry out their assigned tasks, including Pete Buttigieg, who was named Biden’s transportation secretary after served as mayor of South Bend, Indiana. .
Since coming to power, the Republicans have amplified these concerns after a series of perceived missteps on Buttigieg’s part, including the fallout from supply chain crises and the devastating train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
Several other Biden officials have faced heavy criticism over their qualifications in recent years, including Sam Brinton, a former senior Department of Energy official, who identifies as non-binary and has been stopped several times for baggage theft at airports.
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra testifies during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on March 14, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
In 2023, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., blasted the qualifications of Biden’s judicial nominations, saying in a press release “The American people deserve the best and the brightest. Democrats produce… something else.”