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GOP Senator Dragged for Grilling Biden Nominee over Past Mean Tweets about Republicans
President Joe Biden nominated Center for American Progress President Neera Tanden to head the Office of Management and Budget, the largest executive office charged with overseeing the implementation of Presidential policies across various federal entities and agencies.
On Tuesday, Tanden appeared at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Homeland Security Committee where she was grilled by Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) about her past tweets regarding Republican lawmakers.
In since-deleted tweets posted before her nomination, Tanden said that Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) was "the worst" and that Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) had less of a heart than vampires. She also referred to then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) as "Voldemort," the main antagonist in the Harry Potter series.
Portman pressed Tanden on how she could effectively oversee a government agency with tweets like these.
Watch below.
Neera Tanden, Biden’s OMB director nominee, says she “deeply” regrets and apologizes for past tweets about Republic… https://t.co/2XFehjbRz3— The Recount (@The Recount) 1612886798.0
Tanden responded:
"I recognize the concern. I deeply regret and apologize for my language and some of my past language."
It's worth noting that Senate Republicans—including Portman—rallied around former President Donald Trump during his four years in office, even as he tweeted insults to everyone from comedians to world leaders. Trump called women "horsefaces" and "dogs." His tweets berating local election officials in Georgia resulted in death threats.
Trump's Twitter antics eventually got him banned from the platform altogether, but not before his years-long onslaught of erratic and combative tweets defined his legacy.
People found it rich that Portman was suddenly concerned about mean tweets.
The definition of cowardice is Rob Portman and his Republican buddies spending four years ignoring tweets from the… https://t.co/VCpw0wIbeS— Adam Parkhomenko (@Adam Parkhomenko) 1612884691.0
A high degree of accuracy in Neera’s tweets! Also, Rob Portman voted for a man named Donald Trump. https://t.co/aqf0GmIrI8— Jon Favreau (@Jon Favreau) 1612883870.0
I can't believe @robportman has the nerve to raise partisanship in public statements. The unmitigated gall of a R t… https://t.co/Hsky3jXZLF— Jennifer 'America is Back' Rubin (@Jennifer 'America is Back' Rubin) 1612882911.0
Mean tweets about Ted Cruz, you say? https://t.co/xbstfwtd0I https://t.co/pPOnRsWpZr— Jake Tapper (@Jake Tapper) 1612884068.0
Rob Portman is "concerned" about Tanden's tweets, listing them off. He's concerned that she called Susan Collins"th… https://t.co/BjwdVk3Fgf— Emily C. Singer (@Emily C. Singer) 1612882905.0
Wait until Rob Portman finds out what Trump tweeted over the years. https://t.co/mfmCdcVgsX— Drew Savicki 🦖🦕🦖 (@Drew Savicki 🦖🦕🦖) 1612889396.0
What's more, many of Trump's critics agreed with the assertions in Tanden's tweets.
She’s right on all three counts. @robportman has gone full jellyfish. Expect he’ll pardon Trump, too. https://t.co/PGh1fm1o1v— Reed Galen (@Reed Galen) 1612889458.0
where's the lie? https://t.co/NLMrcnAW2v— deray (@deray) 1612883647.0
Soooo the thing is.... there are no lies here! https://t.co/urJHHtRxs5— Jessica Mason Pieklo (@Jessica Mason Pieklo) 1612884529.0
Tweets aside, Tanden is expected to be confirmed by the Senate.