Bill Nye the "Science Guy" is taking aim at President Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE's Cabinet picks, singling out Environmental Protection Agency Administrator (EPA) Scott Pruitt Edward (Scott) Scott PruittJuan Williams: Swamp creature at the White House Science protections must be enforceable Conspicuous by their absence from the Republican Convention MORE and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Elizabeth (Betsy) Dee DeVosFormer DeVos chief of staff joins anti-Trump group Ex-Pence aide throws support behind Biden, citing Trump's virus response OVERNIGHT ENERGY: House Democrats tee up vote on climate-focused energy bill next week | EPA reappoints controversial leader to air quality advisory committee | Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to 'forever chemicals' MORE as "the least qualified people on the planet" to head their agencies.

In an interview with the Guardian published on Saturday, Nye accused the Trump administration of "dismantling" the government from within, specifically pointing to White House chief strategist Steve Bannon as a driving force behind the strategy.

"There is a technique of dismantling government from within, which is the thinking of Bannon," Nye said. "They are hiring the least qualified people on the planet to run the agencies, such as Mr. Pruitt at the EPA and Ms. DeVos at the department of education."

ADVERTISEMENT

Bannon, one of Trump's top advisers and the former executive chair of the far-right Breitbart News, has said that he wants to deconstruct the "administrative state."

Nye's comments came ahead of the March for Science in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, which seeks to rally support for evidence-based policy and scientific funding. Nye is a co-chair of the event.

Pruitt, who became EPA administrator in February despite fierce opposition from environmental advocates, previously served as Oklahoma's attorney general. During his tenure in that post, he sued the EPA more than a dozen times.

Pruitt stirred controversy last month after saying on CNBC that he does not believe that carbon emissions caused by human activity are a primary contributor to climate change, despite climate scientists overwhelmingly agreeing that CO2 emissions are a key contributor to climate change.

DeVos, a major GOP donor and advocate for charter schools, has also been criticized for her appointment to lead the Education Department. Critics have argued that her lack of experience in public education leaves her unqualified to oversee the agency charged with overseeing it.