CBS News has hired Mick Mulvaney, who served as acting chief of staff during Donald Trump’s presidency, as a contributor.
The network said that Mulvaney will provide political analysis “across the network’s broadcasts and platforms.” He appeared on Money Watch on Tuesday to weigh in on President Joe Biden’s proposed tax on households with assets of more than $100 million with a minimum tax of at least 20%. Mulvaney also served as director of the Office of Management and Budget under Trump.
The hire quickly drew some criticism. Mehdi Hasan, the MSNBC host, wrote on Twitter, “Remember when some of us said that the Trump people would never be banished from DC or NYC or ‘respectable’ company, and would be rehabilitated by the so-called ‘liberal media’? Don’t say we didn’t warn you.”
Mulvaney served as Trump’s acting chief of staff from January 2019 to March 2020, when he was replaced by Mark Meadows. During that time, he became embroiled in the Trump-Ukraine scandal, which eventually led to the president’s impeachment. In a press conference in October, 2019, Mulvaney told reporters that the White House did withhold aid to Ukraine to pressure the country to launch an investigation into the 2016 election, a conspiracy theory over the hacking of the Democratic National Committee.
“Did he also mention to me in the past the corruption related to the DNC server? Absolutely. No question about that. But that’s it, and that’s why we held up the money,” Mulvaney told reporters. He later denied that he admitted that there was a “quid pro quo.”
Mulvaney also has served as U.S. Special Envoy for Northern Ireland, as well as a congressman from South Carolina.