Watch: Fox News' Chris Wallace grills top Senate Dem over 'blatant Democratic obstruction

Fox News host Chris Wallace grilled top Senate Democrat Sen. Ben Cardin (Md.) on "Fox News Sunday" on Sunday over why less than half of President Donald Trump's Cabinet has been confirmed more than three weeks into his presidency.

Wallace pointed out that by this time in Barack Obama's first term, he had 12 Cabinet nominees confirmed while George W. Bush had his entire Cabinet confirmed by the third week.

Those facts led Wallace to question Cardin point blank why Senate Democrats are acting as obstructionists.

"Senator, isn't this blatant Democratic obstruction?" Wallace asked Cardin candidly.

"Not at all, we can't stop these nominees, we know that," Cardin replied. "What we're trying to do—"

"But you're doing everything you can to slow it down," Wallace interjected.

Cardin went on to tell Wallace the reason they're slowing down the confirmation process of each nominee is because the nominees lack significant public office experience, which Wallace noted many people view as positive.

But Cardin said it makes senators' jobs more difficult, given that they have to closely scrutinize each nominee's ability to properly do the job they've been nominated for.

Still, Wallace was able to corner Cardin with comments he made in 2013, when he accused Senate Republicans of dragging their feet to slow down the confirmation process of two Obama Cabinet nominees.

"Senator, aren't you and Senate Democrats engaged in exactly the same practice that you criticized Republicans for four years ago?" Wallace pressed.

Cardin responded by saying that Democrats don't control the Senate, so they can't stop Trump's nominees. But he admitted that they can take their time and that's exactly what they've been doing.

"We don't control the agenda; the Republicans control the agenda. All we can do is take our time. We can have time for debate, the 30-hours that are given to us. We can't block when it's brought to the floor. We can't block when the votes take place, that the Republican leader decides," Cardin said. "All we can do is use the time that is allotted to us to make our points, and that's what we are doing."

Watch the exchange below: