Jay Clayton, President Donald Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, faced a grilling from multiple senators about past claims of election fraud during a tense confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday.Clayton is aiming to be the permanent replacement for Tulsi Gabbard, who made examining election fraud a key part of her tenure at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. During the two-hour confirmation hearing Wednesday morning, Clayton was at times unable to say anything in response to questions about the 2020 election from Democrats.When Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) pressed Clayton on election fraud, beginning with a question about who won the 2020 election, Trump’s pick to lead the ODNI refused to answer, referring back to previous responses he gave to senators who asked similar questions. Clayton had previously answered by noting that Joe Biden was certified as the winner through the Electoral College process, a response that did not satisfy several of the Democrats on the panel.
“You’re here asking for the support of senators to lead America’s intelligence community. We have established that you have an obligation to be honest and forthright with this committee and with the American public, but you refuse to answer a simple matter of fact about the 2020 election. Is that right?” Ossoff asked Clayton, who responded that the characterization was incorrect.“Isn’t it humiliating to be unable to answer this question, to have to indulge the president’s delusions?” Ossoff asked. “We know, you know, everybody in this room knows the truthful answer to that question. Why can you not give it?”
