Psaki Defends Mass Firing of Trump Holdovers Like Kellyanne Conway: They Stood By Trump as He ‘Supported an Insurrection’

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki added a dramatic dimension to the administration’s decision to oust about a dozen Trump holdovers from various advisory boards, including the likes of Kellyanne Conway and Sean Spicer.

On Wednesday, Psaki confirmed the Biden administration’s decision to seek the ouster of 11th-hour Trump appointees, which prompted loud objections and threats of legal action. On Thursday morning, a source familiar with the action told Mediaite that all of the appointees in question had either resigned or been fired as of 6 p.m. Wednesday night.

And when Psaki was asked about the purge on Thursday morning’s edition of CNN’s New Day, she offered an additional consideration to those she raised at Wednesday’s briefing.

Co-anchor John Berman noted that of those whose resignations were requested, “Many have refused to resign. So what happens to them now?”

Psaki replied that the White House is “confident in our legal abilities here, but I will tell you, John, no one’s looking to have a battle here.”

She added that President Joe Biden, and other presidents, “have the right to appoint people they deem as qualified, as aligned with the administration’s viewpoint, priorities to these boards, and to any position in the federal government.”

Berman asked Psaki why people like General H.R. McMaster were swept up with the more political appointees like Conway and Spicer.

“Well, look, again, this really goes back to what every president’s right is, which is to appoint individuals they choose because they’re aligned with their values, because they’re aligned with the qualifications that they deem for any of these positions in any of these boards. And that’s what is taking place here. It’s not personal,” Psaki said, echoing her earlier answers.

But then, Psaki added “I will say that there are some people, of course, on these boards, who have supported or stood by silently while their former boss supported an insurrection. That’s not really okay with us either.”

“But you’re right, there’s a span of individuals on these boards. It’s really not more complicated than the president, his cabinet, and team wanting to be able to appoint a fresh a fresh layer of people,” Psaki said.

“As far as you’re concerned, are they effectively off the boards now? Have they been fired from these boards as of this morning?” Berman asked.

“Well, they’ve certainly been, it’s been conveyed to them, as you know, yesterday, that they were asked to resign. In terms of their exact status this morning. I don’t have an update. But again, we’re confident in our legal capacity here.”

Conway and Spicer are just the latest in a long line of mostly-minor Trump holdovers who have been dismissed by the Biden administration, many of whom were appointed in December of 2020 — just weeks before the Trump-incited insurrection that Psaki mentioned.

Watch above via CNN.