'Meet the Press' guest turns tables on panel blasting Trump's Cabinet picks as 'unqualified' in tense exchange

A impermanent connected "Meet the Press" Sunday turned the tables connected an NBC sheet questioning the qualifications of President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet appointments successful a tense on-air exchange. 

Host Kristen Welker brought up criticism by Democrats who've argued that Trump's furniture picks are underqualified, raising imaginable ethical concerns and a deficiency of pertinent acquisition for their respective roles.

When erstwhile White House property caput Jen Psaki reiterated her ain concerns implicit a deficiency of acquisition among immoderate of the nominees, Hoover Institute chap Lanhee Chen pushed back, pointing retired that the existent Health and Human Services secretary, Xavier Becerra, was nominated by President Biden contempt having a ineligible inheritance that was wholly unrelated to his assigned role.

DEMOCRATS' FUROR OVER ‘UNQUALIFIED’ TRUMP NOMINEES PUTS BIDEN STAFFING DECISIONS BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT

President-elect Donald Trump looks connected during the UFC 309 lawsuit astatine Madison Square Garden connected November 16, 2024 successful New York City. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

"We person seen nominations earlier from some parties wherever determination person been ethical and substantive issues," Chen said. "Let's not hide we had a nominee for HHS caput successful this medication who had ne'er dealt with healthcare earlier being nominated, truthful I deliberation the conception that - "

Psaki, present an MSNBC host, interjected, "But - look, I'm not present to support him, but helium was the lawyer wide for the authorities of California. This is simply a small spot of a different…."

"So helium had acquisition suing healthcare companies, but not thing to bash with healthcare," Chen retorted.

"You tin walk clip talking astir the arguable ones, but the world is, determination are immoderate precise bully appointments present excessively that I deliberation aren't getting a batch of attraction and should due to the fact that they're important from a argumentation perspective," helium told the panel.

TRUMP'S SPEEDY CABINET PICKS SHOW HIS 'PRIORITY TO PUT AMERICA FIRST,' TRANSITION TEAM SAYS

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and his woman Cheryl Hines get earlier President-elect Donald Trump speaks during an America First Policy Institute gala astatine his Mar-a-Lago estate, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, successful Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Democrats successful Congress and successful the media person blasted Trump Cabinet nominees implicit their qualifications, including combat seasoned Pete Hegseth arsenic caput of defense; South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem arsenic caput of homeland security; Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., arsenic lawyer general; and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. arsenic caput of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Biden has besides faced disapproval from Republicans implicit respective members of his medication who were believed to beryllium lacking cardinal attributes needed to execute the duties they were assigned, including Pete Buttigieg, who was appointed Biden’s proscription caput aft serving arsenic the politician of South Bend, Indiana.

Since taking office, Republicans have amplified those concerns aft a bid of perceived missteps from Buttigieg, including the fallout from the proviso concatenation crises and the devastating bid derailment successful East Palestine, Ohio.

Several different Biden officials person faced heated disapproval implicit their qualifications successful caller years, including former elder Department of Energy authoritative Sam Brinton, who identifies arsenic nonbinary and was arrested aggregate times for baggage theft astatine airports.

UNITED STATES - MARCH 14: HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra testifies during the Senate Finance Committee proceeding titled "The President's Fiscal Year 2025 Health and Human Services Budget," successful Dirksen gathering connected Thursday, March 14, 2024.  (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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In 2023, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., blasted the qualifications of Biden’s judicial appointments, saying successful a press release, "The American radical merit the champion and brightest. The Democrats are producing… thing else."

Fox News' Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.