Fox's Kilmeade calls Senate Democrats “anti-American,” falsely blaming them for blocking Trump's nominees

Fox & Friends: opposition to Trump is anti-American

Written by Media Matters Staff

Published

Fox & Friends echoed President Donald Trump's absurd blaming of Democrats for the multitude of unfilled positions in Trump's administration, despite the fact that Republicans control the confirmation process in the Senate. Co-host Brian Kilmeade said it was “anti-American,” “inexcusable,” and “unacceptable” for Senate Democrats to “delay the confirmation of President Trump's nominees.” Last month, Trump called Senate Democrats “OBSTRUCTIONISTS” for “taking forever to approve my people.” As The Los Angeles Times pointed out, “blaming the Democrats in this case ignores the reality that Trump's fellow Republicans control the Senate, where nominations are confirmed.” Additionally, as Mic explained, “Confirmation of nominees in the Senate requires a simply majority” and “it's the job of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to determine when votes come to the Senate floor.” From the July 11 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends:

BRIAN KILMEADE (CO-HOST): This is inexcusable, unacceptable. Even if you did not vote for President Trump, you have a right when you win an election to staff up. The Senate Democrats have gone out of their way, in great detail. The lead editorial for The Wall Street Journal, if you really want to know the exact detail of how Senator [Chuck] Schumer's [(D-NY)] doing it. Going out of their way to delay the confirmation of President Trump's nominees to the tune of, they've only confirmed 46 of the [197] appointees that are up there.

[...] 

Look for Senator [James] Lankford [R-OK], has a way forward here, and it's up to Senator [Mitch] McConnell [(R-KY)] to get as flexible as Senator Schumer in stopping -- the minority leader -- from blocking the president from having a staff. He has 242 nominees out there. Fifty are OK. This guy David Malpass was nominated for undersecretary for Treasury for international affairs, going to oversee all of the pipelines. He was put up in March. He was passed through committee in mid-June. He can't get confirmation simply because Democrats do not want to see this administration stand on its feet.

AINSLEY EARHARDT (CO-HOST): Have success, right. It's not like they're appointing Supreme Court justices that are going to change laws down the road. This is just so President Obama can have a staff. 

KILMEADE: President Trump. 

EARHARDT: I mean President Trump can have a staff. 

KILMEADE: This is anti-American.

STEVE DOOCY (CO-HOST): Well, it's anti-Trump ultimately is what it is. 

KILMEADE: Which is anti-American.