If you had read The New York Times Wednesday night, you would be terrified to learn that the man nominated to be our next energy secretary had no clue what his job will entail. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, the editors claimed, apparently did not know his job would include a safeguarding of America's nuclear arsenal. Instead, he was under the impression he'd be acting as a sort of ambassador on behalf of the oil and gas industry. The editors quote an energy lobbyist who was hired to the Trump team to try and prove their point.
The Federalist's Mollie Hemingway pointed out just a few problems with the NYT piece. First, the lobbyist the editors quote was let go from the Trump transition team a month before Perry was even nominated. Second, had the Times bothered to read Perry's remarks upon accepting the energy nomination, they'd see he clearly knew he'd need an understanding of the nuclear arsenal.
“I look forward to engaging in a conversation about the development, stewardship and regulation of our energy resources, safeguarding our nuclear arsenal, and promoting an American energy policy that creates jobs and puts America first,” he said at the time.
Had they done even more research, they'd see that his leadership in Texas uniquely qualifies him for the White House role. For starters, the largest nuclear maintenance facility in America resides in Amarillo and he has worked closely with the National Nuclear Security Administration. Heck, Texas has even earned the title "Energy State."
Yet, the Times and other eager outlets chose to report on Perry's supposed ignorance sans evidence.
If you were interested in what all this fuss was about "fake news," consider this Exhibit A.
The good news? Perry will have a chance to defend his honor and tout his experience at his confirmation hearing on Thursday.
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