‘You Are Not Being Honest’: Jon Ossoff Hammers Trump DNI Nominee In Awkward Hearing Exchange

Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) hammered President Donald Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence Wednesday, asking Jay Clayton multiple times to answer the question of who won the 2020 election.

The exchange came after Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) asked Clayton earlier in the same hearing: “Do you deny that Joe Biden won the 2020 election?”

Clayton, who was appearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee for his confirmation hearing, answered that Biden “was certified as president of the United States.”

Ossoff launched into his grilling by asking Clayton, the current US Attorney for the Southern District, about Trump’s pardoning of Juan Orlando Hernandez, a convicted narco trafficker.

“You have an obligation to be honest and forthright with this committee, correct?” Ossoff asked in his opening question.

“Yes,” Clayton replied.

The two then went at it:

JON OSSOFF: Did the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump, pardon a convicted narco trafficker?

CLAYTON: I believe we just discussed that, the president provided a pardon, yes.

OSSOFF: Yes or no. Did the president of the United States pardon a convicted narco trafficker?

CLAYTON: Yes.

OSSOFF: Who won the 2020 election?

CLAYTON: I’m not going to do this with you.

OSSOFF: This is a job interview. We’ve established that you have an obligation to be honest —

CLAYTON: It’s a pretty interesting job.

OSSOFF:  — and forthright with the committee yes? You do have an obligation to be honest and forthright with the committee?

CLAYTON: Yes.

OSSOFF: Who won the 2020 election?

CLAYTON: Like I said I’m not going to get into that with you.

OSSOFF: But you do have an obligation to be honest and forthright with the committee?

CLAYTON: Is anything that I just said not honest or forthright?

OSSOFF: Yes you’re not being honest or forthright. Who won the 2020 election?

CLAYTON I think I’ve answered the question. We can keep doing this.

OSSOFF: We’ll we’re going to keep doingit because you’re not being honest or forthright with the committee.

CLAYTON: No I’m not going to engage in the theater.

OSSOFF: It’s a simple question Mr. Clayton.

CLAYTON: And I’ve answered it.

OSSOFF Who won the 2020 presidential election

CLAYTON: I’m not going to keep doing this.

CLAYTON: I’ve answered it.

Ossoff then asked, “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.

Watch above via YouTube.

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