PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia’s delegation to the U.S. Senate has expressed concerns about several of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees to his administration, including the naming of former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as his choice to be the director of national intelligence despite her lack of experience.
That move, and a few others, has left Sens. Mark Warner, Tim Kaine and others in disbelief.
“He’s got a right to put forward his candidates,” Warner said. “They have a right to be considered. But when you have that advise and consent process, a candidate gets to be vetted in terms of their background. We get to see as American citizens, because all of the the hearings on these nominees are public. And I can tell you, as chairman of the [Senate] Intelligence Committee, we live in a very, very dangerous time.”
Gabbard has parroted Russian propaganda, while Trump has called Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine genius.
Remember Trump’s criticism of so called woke generals?
Trump’s Pick for defense secretary, Fox News host Pete Hegseth, said Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Charles Brown, who grew up in Newport News, got the job only because he is Black.
Hegseth is also critical of the role women play in combat. Kaine said Hegseth, a former soldier, should take another look at today’s military.
“And so, I don’t know how much time this guy has spent with women serving in the military,” Kaine said. “I am very active as a member of the Armed Services Committee. I have a child who is a Marine, veteran, inactive reservist now, but served in active duty. And I can tell you, as somebody who’s questioning the capacity of women to serve, I just I don’t think he’s been paying attention.”
And from the president-elect, who was convicted of 34 felony counts in the Stormy Daniels hush money case — a judge has delayed a ruling on whether to scrap the conviction — Rep. Matt Gaetz, who was under investigation for sexual misconduct, is Trump’s pick for U.S. Attorney General.
“Well, again, I don’t know, Mr. Gaetz,” Kaine said. “I would be curious to see whether he could get even a majority of the House Republicans who have actually known and worked with him for years, Kaine said.
There is also concern Trump will call for recess appointments, a step that would bypass Senate confirmation.
Warner did give Sen. Marco Rubio, Trump’s pick for secretary of state, a thumbs-up, saying Rubio is smart, talented and will be a strong voice for American interests around the globe.