CNN’s Keilar: GOP Wanted First Black Defense Secretary ‘To Be the Face’ of Responding to CRT Questions, Not White Trump Appointee

During an interview with Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) on Thursday’s broadcast of CNN’s “New Day,” co-host Brianna Keilar said that Republicans wanted Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin “who is the first black Defense Secretary to be the face of the response to questions about Critical Race Theory” instead of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, who is white and was appointed by former President Donald Trump.

Keilar asked, “Did you think that there was a reason why Republicans wanted Secretary Austin, who is the first black Defense Secretary to be the face of the response to questions about Critical Race Theory rather than Milley, who, I mean, obviously, he’s a white man. He was also appointed to be the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs by Donald Trump. Do you think there was a reason why they wanted Secretary Austin to be the face of the response to this question?”

Houlahan responded, “You’re not the only one who’s asked me that question and I would be saddened to think that that was the reason why. I understand that Secretary Austin and Gen. Milley were also over on the Senate side doing a similar conversation. Frankly, that conversation here and there was supposed to be about the budget, and that it was a similar way of sort of separating Gen. Milley from Secretary Austin and asking Secretary Austin to be accountable to those questions, and it would be sad if that were because of race.”

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