NBC News reporter Garrett Haake cracked jokes after National Security Advisor Mike Waltz was removed from the post and Secretary of State Marco Rubio was handed the gig.
Speaking with a group of commentators on MSNBC, Haake noted that it's unclear what priorities Rubio will set, given that he has numerous tasks.
"I mean, some of that will depend on how much of Mike Waltz's staff stays here at the White House and how much is forced out. I mean, is Rubio leading a skeleton organization here at the White House, or does he get to keep what Mike Waltz had put in place, and is his opinion going to be valued more or even equally in his dual hatted role, or is this more of a sort of sweeping of a organization that Trump doesn't like under Marco Rubio?" he asked.
Former FBI official Frank Figliuzzi noted that during his first term in office, Trump had four national security advisors, with Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn being fired after serving for less than a month.
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"This is like being the drummer for Spinal Tap," quipped Haake, referring to the mockumentary about a band in which the drummer keeps dying.
The panel cracked up while host Chris Jansing quickly tried to figure out what he was talking about.
"You just don't get a lot of, you know, length of tenure, if you will, in that position," Haake continued. "And so, you know, how Trump views the person who's in that role and whether he sort of treats Marco Rubio with any more or less credibility, I think is one of the many, many open questions this double switch provides."
"Serious or not — because we've all had a laugh on that front. But it's a good question, right?" asked Jansing.
Figliuzzi also pointed out how it looks to U.S. allies on the global stage.
"I come right back to how the world views this kind of instability and change and flux. And you can't help but wonder if our adversaries are thinking Trump simply doesn't have a handle on this," he said.
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