This week, Jen Psaki, a host on MSNBC, criticized Democrats for their decision about leadership for a substantial committee. 

The decision in question was to remove Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y. ) from consideration for the top Democratic position on the House Oversight Committee, as Fox News reported.

The "media-savvy" congresswoman, who is 35 years old, was ignored by the Democrats, according to Psaki, who is 46 years old.

Psaki stated that the Democrats missed a "big opportunity" to adopt some of the main takeaways from the 2024 election.

The Hosts' Comments

“Instead, they chose Congressman Gerry Connolly, a much older member who was backed by Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi,” the former Biden administration White House press secretary said during a recent broadcast of MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki.”

“Why does that matter?” she continued. “This is one of the few committees in Congress that actually generates national attention or media coverage. Under Jamie Raskin, it became a critical platform for countering Republican misinformation.

The congresswoman went on to explain that, "while I have deep, deep respect for Speaker Pelosi… and nothing against Congressman Connolly at all, this felt like an obvious chance to apply some of the lessons we should’ve learned from the November election.”

“Instead, Democrats passed over one of the youngest, most media-savvy members of Congress for a key public leadership role,” she declared.

The Other Lawmaker

Last week, Connolly, a 74-year-old Virginia Democrat, defeated the "Squad" representative in a 131-84 vote to become the ranking member of the high-profile panel.

This panel will be responsible for overseeing the incoming Trump administration.

The party has been criticized by Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), who challenged President Biden in the 2024 Democratic primaries, for dismissing newer Democrats in favor of more seasoned blue party members.

“It is time to elevate the best and brightest,” Phillips said, according to Fox News. “We have literally kept them from ascending to leadership positions, which means they go elsewhere. And when we lose that kind of talent of ambitious, competent, patriotic young Americans, we’re in trouble.”

The Contrast with AOC

Connolly, on the other hand, contended that the media had propagated a "false narrative" regarding the old versus youthful debate.

Punchbowl News reports that Pelosi (D-Calif.), 84, reportedly initiated a covert campaign to undermine Ocasio-Cortez's candidacy in the days leading up to the December 17 vote.

Earlier this month, the news outlet reported that the former House speaker had been "making calls" to encourage Democrats to back Connolly instead of the younger Democrat from New York.

“Pelosi whipped votes to make sure that Connolly got the Oversight job over the young star in the party, even as the 84-year-old Pelosi is recovering from hip surgery after suffering a fall. It feels like a moment of genuine madness,” MSNBC’s Chris Hayes said of the former speaker’s lobbying campaign.

Another Ouetlet's Take

A similar criticism was leveled by Joy Reid, the host of MSNBC, regarding the outcomes of the vote by the oversight panel.

“[The] gerontocracy seems like it’s intractable,” she said. “I recall when Barack Obama was elected, he kind of pushed aside the DNC and created his own organization because I think there is a frustration with the sort of creaky way the DNC operates.”