Reid: Joni Ernst Is ‘Qualified as Secy. Of Defense But She’s a Woman,’ Trump Determines Merit Based on Race, Gender, and If They’re on TV

Reid But what I ░░░░░░░░ what does it say ░░░░░░░░ you know the Republican ░░░░░░░░ and your colleagues on ░░░░░░░░ other side of the ░░░░░░░░ who are going to ░░░░░░░░ him let s just ░░░░░░░░ clear that you know ░░░░░░░░ Ernst would actually be ░░░░░░░░ qualified to be secretary ░░░░░░░░ defense but she s ░░░░░░░░ woman The current secretary ░░░░░░░░ defense is a four ░░░░░░░░ general but MAGA people ░░░░░░░░ refer to him as ░░░░░░░░ DEI hire He s ░░░░░░░░ literal combat veteran four ░░░░░░░░ general but he s ░░░░░░░░ so therefore he can ░░░░░░░░ I mean the way ░░░░░░░░ they re determining merit ░░░░░░░░ appear to have something ░░░░░░░░ do with the color ░░░░░░░░ one s skin one ░░░░░░░░ gender and whether or ░░░░░░░░ they re on television ░░░░░░░░ what is meritocracy What ░░░░░░░░ it even mean in ░░░░░░░░ Trump era MURPHY Well ░░░░░░░░ think all it means ░░░░░░░░ Donald Trump is first ░░░░░░░░ foremost that you will ░░░░░░░░ blindly loyal to him ░░░░░░░░ That s his assessment ░░░░░░░░ merit Will you be ░░░░░░░░ to me Will you ░░░░░░░░ the law and the ░░░░░░░░ if that is what ░░░░░░░░ necessary to help me ░░░░░░░░ or keep me in ░░░░░░░░ B Did I see ░░░░░░░░ on TV and do ░░░░░░░░ think that you look ░░░░░░░░ somebody who in my ░░░░░░░░ should occupy that post ░░░░░░░░ you know we saw ░░░░░░░░ on display over the ░░░░░░░░ four years I watched ░░░░░░░░ Republican Senate colleagues target ░░░░░░░░ nominees especially for the ░░░░░░░░ and nominees of color ░░░░░░░░ were subject routinely to ░░░░░░░░ totally different set of ░░░░░░░░ than white nominees or ░░░░░░░░ male nominees were So ░░░░░░░░ isn t new to ░░░░░░░░ Trump s nomination process ░░░░░░░░ Joe Biden was putting ░░░░░░░░ nominees his women nominees ░░░░░░░░ his black and Hispanic ░░░░░░░░ would always get a ░░░░░░░░ level of attention a ░░░░░░░░ bar that magically had ░░░░░░░░ be crossed by many ░░░░░░░░ Republicans.”