NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Kellyanne Conway and other former President Trump staffers are sparing with the Biden administration over its request for them to step down from military service academy advisory boards.
The White House is looking to clean out Trump appointees from the West Point Advisory Board and the Naval Academy Board, among others, to make way for “qualified” representatives that are “aligned” with President Biden, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Wednesday.
In all 11 officials — including Sean Spicer, Conway and H.R. McMaster — have been asked to step down or face dismissal from the boards, Psaki confirmed.
“The president’s objective is what any president’s objective is, is to ensure you have nominees and people serving on these boards who are qualified to serve on them and who are aligned with your values,” Psaki said during her daily briefing. “And so, yes, that was an ask that was made.”
Psaki dismissed concerns that the requests risk politicizing such low-profile, non-controversial appointments. Appointees to the boards meet several times a year to oversee virtually all aspects of the academies, from curriculum to morale and discipline, according to the academies’ websites.
“I will let others evaluate whether they think Kellyanne Conway and Sean Spicer and others were qualified or not political to serve on these boards, but the president’s qualification requirements are not your party registration,” Psaki added. “They are whether you’re qualified to serve and whether you’re aligned with the values of this administration.”
Some of the Trump appointees asked to resign refused, like Naval Academy Board member Russ Vought, who tweeted that he was appointed to serve a three-year term.
Conway, the former senior counselor to President Trump, called Biden’s request “petty and political” in a statement she posted to Twitter.
"Your decision is disappointing but understandable given the need to distract from a news cycle that has you mired in multiple self-inflicted crises and plummeting poll numbers," Conway said.