MSNBC’s Psaki: GOP Senators Using ‘Quiet Defiance’ Against Trump Nominees

GEIST with Jen Psaki ░░░░░░░░ Psaki and staff writer ░░░░░░░░ The New Yorker Susan ░░░░░░░░ Good morning to you ░░░░░░░░ PSAKI Good morning GEIST ░░░░░░░░ I ll start with ░░░░░░░░ As someone with a ░░░░░░░░ of experience in Washington ░░░░░░░░ ve watched nominees sort ░░░░░░░░ paraded around Capitol Hill ░░░░░░░░ ve watched difficult confirmation ░░░░░░░░ What do you make ░░░░░░░░ s focus on Hegseth ░░░░░░░░ the moment of some ░░░░░░░░ what we heard yesterday ░░░░░░░░ that Republican senators kind ░░░░░░░░ going through the motions ░░░░░░░░ I m open to ░░░░░░░░ possibility or some just ░░░░░░░░ out right saying yes ░░░░░░░░ m supportive of his ░░░░░░░░ Is that just a ░░░░░░░░ to all the other ░░░░░░░░ that says perhaps Donald ░░░░░░░░ has moved on even ░░░░░░░░ his mind from Pete ░░░░░░░░ or do you think ░░░░░░░░ s actually now some ░░░░░░░░ movement to keep him ░░░░░░░░ the game PSAKI I ░░░░░░░░ there s what s ░░░░░░░░ publicly and then there ░░░░░░░░ what s happening privately ░░░░░░░░ what s happening privately ░░░░░░░░ tells you the whole ░░░░░░░░ with nominations This didn ░░░░░░░░ always used to be ░░░░░░░░ case It used to ░░░░░░░░ many years ago that ░░░░░░░░ would come out and ░░░░░░░░ would just say I ░░░░░░░░ going to vote for ░░░░░░░░ person or I m ░░░░░░░░ going to vote for ░░░░░░░░ person but now because ░░░░░░░░ many Republican senators especially ░░░░░░░░ concerned about being a ░░░░░░░░ of Trump all of ░░░░░░░░ is basically quiet defiance ░░░░░░░░ s what you saw ░░░░░░░░ Matt Gaetz and I ░░░░░░░░ that s what you ░░░░░░░░ seeing right now with ░░░░░░░░ Hegseth What was interesting ░░░░░░░░ don t know if ░░░░░░░░ all saw Blumenthal Senator ░░░░░░░░ s comments yesterday the ░░░░░░░░ from Connecticut a Democrat ░░░░░░░░ said there are eight ░░░░░░░░ 10 Republicans or five ░░░░░░░░ 10 maybe he said ░░░░░░░░ is quite a range ░░░░░░░░ he thinks would oppose ░░░░░░░░ And what I expect ░░░░░░░░ going to happen here ░░░░░░░░ that this is going ░░░░░░░░ be quietly a nomination ░░░░░░░░ is killed over the ░░░░░░░░ couple of days Meaning ░░░░░░░░ on the Hill senators ░░░░░░░░ it s McConnell or ░░░░░░░░ will convey to the ░░░░░░░░ team that he simply ░░░░░░░░ not have the votes ░░░░░░░░ then Trump has to ░░░░░░░░ what he wants to ░░░░░░░░ from there Does he ░░░░░░░░ another nomination But we ░░░░░░░░ already seeing names floating ░░░░░░░░ there which is coming ░░░░░░░░ somewhere in the Trump ░░░░░░░░ so that tells you ░░░░░░░░ lot So I would ░░░░░░░░ these public comments are ░░░░░░░░ senators more trying not ░░░░░░░░ be the target They ░░░░░░░░ where this is headed ░░░░░░░░ of the conversations are ░░░░░░░░ behind the scenes And ░░░░░░░░ suspect some of them ░░░░░░░░ Senator Ernst may want ░░░░░░░░ job too which always ░░░░░░░░ you something as well ░░░░░░░░ Yeah without question That ░░░░░░░░ an important point And ░░░░░░░░ met with Pete Hegseth ░░░░░░░░ and came out as ░░░░░░░░ saw in Garrett s ░░░░░░░░ there and said she ░░░░░░░░ still open to his ░░░░░░░░ I think you re ░░░░░░░░