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Sean Spicer defends lack of racial diversity in Donald Trump's Cabinet

Spicer on cabinet picks
Sean Spicer defends lack of racial diversity in Trump's Cabinet 01:30

WASHINGTON -- President-elect Donald Trump named former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue as his secretary of agriculture Wednesday night, rounding out his 16-member Cabinet.

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Sean Spicer CBS News

While Trump boasted about his picks’ collective IQ, critics were quick to point out that the Cabinet lacked a Latino member, and 13 of the 16 nominees are white men.

Scott Pelley asked Sean Spicer, the incoming White House press secretary, what the American people should think when they see the racial makeup of the Cabinet.

“That it’s not about, someone, the color of their skin. It’s about the successes they’ve had. But they should also look at people like Elaine Chao, Nikki Haley, Ben Carson. There’s a tremendous amount of diversity that’s not just about the color of someone’s skin, but it’s gender diversity. It’s ideological diversity. And that’s where really the focus is,” Spicer said.

Watch the video above for more of Pelley’s conversation with Spicer, including why Trump is reportedly visiting the CIA on Saturday.

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