Fmr GOP Gov Schools Van Jones On ‘Advice and Consent’ After He Whines About Kash Patel Confirmation

Former Republican Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty told CNN’s Van Jones Thursday on CNN that the U.S. Senate went through “advice and consent” before confirming FBI Director Kash Patel, after Jones complained about the Trump nominee.

Patel was confirmed Thursday afternoon as President Donald Trump’s new FBI director, passing with a final vote of 51-49, despite efforts by Democrat lawmakers to delay his confirmation. On “Erin Burnett OutFront,” Burnett asked Jones for his thoughts on Patel’s approval. Jones responded that, despite Trump’s ability to “put up anybody that he wants,” nominees must still go through the “advice and consent” process.

“The president of the United States can put up whatever he wants to. He can put up Kermit the Frog,” Jones said. “He can put up anybody that he wants to. But the advice and consent function of the United States Senate is in place because sometimes presidents have bad judgment. Just because you say you’re going to shake up to a place doesn’t mean that you should put in someone who literally has no qualifications at all.”

While Jones continued to say “the American system of government being thrown in the garbage can by people who call themselves patriots,” he said that former President George W. Bush tried to push his personal lawyer onto the U.S. Supreme Court. Pawlenty interjected and said Patel wouldn’t have been confirmed without going through the proper process.

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“What I’m more concerned about is the American system of government being thrown in the garbage can by people who call themselves patriots,” Jones added. “It is not – listen, I remember when George W. Bush tried to put his personal lawyer on the Supreme Court. The Republican Party said, ‘No, thank you, sir. We’re not going to do that.’ So that Republican Party is now gone.”

Pawlenty interjected.