Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) raked Walter “Jay” Clayton III, who has been nominated by Donald Trump as the next Director of National Intelligence, over the coals during Clayton’s confirmation hearing today in the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, reminding him that the hearing was more than a mere formality.
The senator began by asking Clayton about Trump’s controversial pardon of convicted narco trafficker Juan Orlando Hernandez.
“Did the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump, pardon a convicted narco trafficker? Ossoff inquired.
“I believe we just discussed that, the president provided a pardon, yes,” Clayton replied.
Ossoff asked again, “Yes or no. Did the president of the United States pardon a convicted narco trafficker?”
Clayton: “Yes.”
“Who won the 2020 election?” asked Ossoff.
“I’m not going to do this with you,” Clayton responded.
Ossoff: “This is a job interview. We’ve established that you have an obligation to be honest — and forthright with the committee yes? You do have an obligation to be honest and forthright with the committee?”
“Yes,” Clayton replied.
Ossoff asked again, “Who won the 2020 election?”
“Like I said I’m not going to get into that with you,” Clayton said.
After asking two more times who won the election, Ossoff told the nominee, “Isn’t it humiliating to be unable to answer this question? To have to indulge the president’s delusions? We know, you know, everybody in this room knows the truthful answer to that question. Why can you not give it?”
“I think I gave you the answer,” Clayton replied.
If Jay Clayton cannot answer a question as simple as who won the 2020 presidential election, he shouldn’t be allowed to hold any position in the federal government. And if he’s afraid to answer because of how Trump will react, then he’s unfit to collect garbage, let alone oversee the nation’s intelligence agencies. It’s really that simple.
