CNN's Chris Cuomo is really not buying Corey Lewandowski's argument for tapping Trump's doctor for VA secretary

Chris Cuomo and Corey Lewandowski.
(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/live CNN)

CNN's Chris Cuomo clashed with Corey Lewandowski on Thursday over President Trump's decision to hire the White House physician to replace Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin. Cuomo expressed particular concern that the successor, Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, has no management experience "that we know of," despite being tapped to head "the second biggest department in the federal government."

Lewandowski did not share Cuomo's concern. "If we want someone who understands the problems that veterans face," he said, "who better than an active duty military officer … ?"

Cuomo replied: "Part of the answer to that question would be: someone who's managed something before."

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Lewandowski disagreed. "If you look back and you look at the previous VA secretaries, those who have supposedly had management experience who have come in, we've seen disasters under their regimes."

But Cuomo couldn't get on board with that logic. "It doesn't mean that having management experience is a negative ... You can't argue that 'well we've seen it in the past that management led to bad outcomes so we don't want someone with management experience,'" he insisted. "That's silly." Watch the full debate below. Jeva Lange

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.