Business and conservative groups said Wednesday they were disappointed over the news that Andy Puzder, president Trump’s pick to be labor secretary, had withdrawn his nomination.
Puzder, the chief executive office of CKE Restaurants, which owns the Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. franchises and an outspoken conservative, had been a controversial pick from the start and pulled out Wednesday on the eve of his first Senate hearing. Those close to Puzder said it was a disheartening experience.
“It was a corporate campaign orchestrated by unions using the ‘death by a thousand cuts’ approach designed to destroy the target. No one factor is ever determinative. It is a steady drumbeat of negativity facilitated by the media. In short, messaging matters more than fact,” said Michael Lotito, co-chairman of the Workplace Policy Institute.
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said Puzder had the “experience and ability” for the job, “but I respect his decision. He understands the difficulties American workers face in a rapidly changing workforce, and I look forward to continuing to hear his insights.”
Business groups continued to vouch for Puzder, and said he would have made a great addition to Trump’s Cabinet.
“Andrew Puzder is a businessman with years of experience and proven expertise related to running successful businesses. He recognizes that success is only achievable when your labor force is given opportunities to recognize their potential for advancement and achievement. His withdrawing from consideration to be President Trump’s Secretary of Labor is truly regrettable, and our hope is that the president will seek a new candidate that comes to the position with the aptitude and abilities Mr. Puzder was prepared to bring to the job,” said the National Retail Federation.
Cicely Simpson, executive vice president of the National Restaurant Association, called it “extremely unfortunate” and said the confirmation process “has resulted in a qualified and dedicated man withdrawing from the Labor Secretary nomination. Andy Puzder would have made a great Labor Secretary. We hope that President Trump’s next Labor Secretary nominee, like Andy, has experience creating jobs and a deep understanding how to get business and government to work together to grow the economy.”
Puzder’s nomination was rocked Wednesday when tape surfaced of Lisa Fierstein, his ex-wife, appearing in a 1990 episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” devoted to domestic violence. In it, she said that he was emotionally abusive to her during their divorce. Fierstein has since disavowed the appearance, saying she falsely made the allegations due to anger over the break-up and to gain leverage in their divorce.
The tape apparently turned several Republican senators against his bid, undermining Puzder’s chances of confirmation. In a statement Wednesday afternoon, he said: “After careful consideration and discussions with my family, I am withdrawing my nomination for Secretary of Labor.”
