Tammy Bruce: Some complain Neera Tanden's nomination in jeopardy because of her race and gender
Fox News contributor Tammy Bruce weighs in on the Senate confirmation process for Biden’s OMB director nominee.
The complaints against the senators who will reject President Biden’s Office of Management and Budget director nominee Neera Tanden are an example of the left using "identity politics," Fox News contributor Tammy Bruce said on Tuesday.
"Some of the complaints that we've been hearing is that it's because of her race and her gender is why her nomination is in trouble. That is the most racist and sexist thing you can say because you're arguing here that they shouldn't be asking hard questions, they shouldn't be pointing their finger ... They're just being mean," Bruce told "Fox & Friends."
The host of "Get Tammy Bruce" on Fox Nation highlighted that "many people of color and women" who "have gone through the Senate confirmation process have been fine."
"People should realize this isn't just that kind of a section of politics. This is about identity politics," Bruce said.
NEERA TANDEN, XAVIER BECERRA UNDER FIRE AS BIDEN NOMINEES FIGHT TO SURVIVE CONFIRMATION BATTLES
President Biden is standing behind a pair of Cabinet picks facing uphill battles -- including Neera Tanden, his nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget, and Xavier Becerra, his pick for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services -- as a growing number of senators have vowed to oppose their confirmations.
Tanden's confirmation appears to be the most in jeopardy after several swing vote senators -- including at least one Democrat -- have announced plans to vote against her confirmation. The former president of the liberal Center for American Progress repeatedly came under fire during her confirmation hearing, as Republicans pointed to hostile tweets she posted against various lawmakers -- many of which she deleted late last year.
During that hearing, Sen. Ron Portman, R-Ohio, gave examples of "a few of the thousands of negative public statements" Tanden has made. These included her calling Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, "the worst" and Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., a "fraud," saying that "vampires have more heart than Ted Cruz," and referring to then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as "Moscow Mitch" and "Voldemort," referring to the Harry Potter villain.
Portman said that even after Tanden deleted tweets, there were still nine pages of posts about Cruz that were still up.
"I wonder, specifically, how do you plan to mend fences and build relationships with members of Congress you have attacked through your public statements?" Portman asked.
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Bruce explained that the "entire point of identity politics" is to "argue that certain people shouldn't have to answer questions and that they need to be treated differently."
"That, again, goes into this argument, which is the sexist, racist argument that those certain types of people need to be handled with kid gloves when they, in fact, can handle that arena," Bruce said.
"I mean, it should be more about whether or not senators were insulted and where these people stand and if they're competent."
Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
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