Democratic lawmakers are outraged by Donald Trump’s recent Cabinet and West Wing picks, saying his choices are downright “dangerous.”
The president-elect has sparked controversy after nominating a wave of hardline conservatives and MAGA loyalists, some with questionable qualifications, to top positions in the executive branch.
Two of the most polarizing nominations were Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services and former Republican Florida Representative Matt Gaetz as Attorney General.
As they left the Capitol on Friday, Democrats made clear their disdain for Trump’s selections. They claimed that many of the nominees are conspiracy theorists, with some going so far as to call them “terrible people.”
“I mean, the worst thing is RFK Jr. as Secretary of Health,” Rep. Robert Garcia, D-California, told DailyMail.com. “There is no one more dangerous or destructive to the health of our nation.
“This is a vaccine denier, he is someone who has no interest in actually helping people, he has caused measles outbreaks in other parts of the world,” Garcia said. ‘He denied that HIV causes AIDS. He said the fluoride in water has made people gay or trans, just completely crazy.
“And so I think that’s by far the most irresponsible choice.”
When asked which appointments in Trump’s Cabinet matter most to her, Pramila Jayapal, chair of the Progressive Caucus, laughed that there are “too many options.”
Matt Gaetz talks with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. before President-elect Donald Trump speaks during an America First Policy Institute gala at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Palm Beach, Florida. selected to join Trump’s cabinet
Matt Gaetz’s wife, Ginger Gaetz, holding hands with Kennedy
Democratic lawmakers told DailyMail.com on Friday that Kennedy’s nomination is “dangerous” and that Gaetz does not have the qualifications needed to become AG
“My favorite appointment is the one that hasn’t happened yet,” Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., told DailyMail.com. “My least favorite is RFK.”
Their sentiments conflicted with those of Colorado’s Democratic governor, Jared Polis, who admitted he was “excited” about Kennedy’s nomination this week.
“I am excited by the news that President-elect Robert Kennedy Jr. will appoint HHS. He helped us defeat vaccine mandates in Colorado in 2019 and will help make America healthy again by shaking up HHS and FDA,” he wrote on X.
Kennedy’s nomination is “insane,” Garcia said this week.
“I definitely don’t have a favorite choice because they’re all terrible,” he told DailyMail.com on Friday.
“I mean, Matt Gaetz, RFK Jr., Tulsi Gabbard“It’s a collection of some of the most irresponsible, horrible people in the country,” he continued. “There isn’t, there isn’t a good choice so far.”
Democratic California Senator Adam Schiff similarly pushed the Gaetz nomination to AG Friday.
“To even consider … someone so unfit” for attorney general is a “tragic dereliction of our responsibility,” Schiff said.
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., called Kennedy’s nomination ‘damn insane’
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks during a press conference at the Capitol in Washington, Friday, November 15, 2024
Moskowitz said Kennedy is the worst candidate for Trump
“It’s one thing to elect people who are loyal to the president and other people who are so patently unqualified.”
Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Friday he will not ask questions about Trump and the antics of his cabinet.
‘I’m not going to worry about what I’m not going to do in the next two years or the next four years. One day it’s Tulsi Gabbard, then an hour later it’s Matt Gaetz, and the next day it’s Robert F Kennedy, Jr.,” Jeffries said.
“That’s all a distraction,” he said.