There is a reason that presidential transition teams have extensively vetted nominees for decades. This process can (and should) expose the skeletons, the conflicts of interest and, yes, even the immorality of some president-elect picks.
The process typically involves hours of intensive interviews with the candidates, an FBI background check and extensive reviews with teams of lawyers about backgrounds and qualifications.
It sounds invasive because it is invasive. But it also allows presidents-elect to weed out people who either can't be confirmed or shouldn't be confirmed to any Cabinet job.
Maybe Matt Gaetz would have still been Trump's choice had that full process been carried out. But it seems like a lot of information about Gaetz came out in the press after his pick — information that perhaps Trump did not have (and should have had).
And Gaetz isn't the only pick who may end up mired in more controversy. The Trump team allegedly was surprised by the extent of the Pete Hegseth allegations. And there is likely a lot more to the story of Tulsi Gabbard's trip to Syria to meet with brutal dictator Bashar al-Assad.
So what we have learned from Gaetz's short-lived nomination is that no transition team should cut corners on vetting. But we also learned there is a limit to Trump's power over the Senate.
These poorly made decisions from the Trump administration will keep coming. But this week proves pushback works. Now is the time to call your representatives and remind them that Trump's chaos doesn't need to become our new normal.
Read more exclusive insights from Jen Psaki here. And tune into "Inside with Jen Psaki" Mondays at 8 p.m. ET, and Sundays at 12 p.m. ET on MSNBC.
