‘I Won’t Be Lectured by a Child’: Charles Blow Scolds Conservative in Tense CNN Exchange

Former New York Times columnist Charles Blow took exception when a conservative guest accused him of trying to create a viral social media moment on Wednesday’s edition of CNN NewsNight.

During the show’s A block, the panel discussed the confirmation hearing of Jay Clayton, the current U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, whom President Donald Trump nominated as Director of National Intelligence. Multiple Democratic senators asked Clayton who won the 2020 election, but the nominee would only say that Joe Biden had been “certified” as the winner.

“That’s kind of embarrassing,” NewsNight host Abby Phillip said to Lydia Moynihan, a financial correspondent for The New York Post. “If he can’t just state a fact, how can he do that other job?”

“I mean, he’d been asked, I think, three times at that point, and he did mince words,” Moynihan responded. “But there’s a lot of theatrics at these kind of hearings. Jon Ossoff got his soundbite, and Republicans kind of do the same thing. They love to ask, ‘What is a woman?’ And Ketanji Brown Jackson couldn’t answer. A lot of people still can’t answer that question. So to me, it’s theatrics.”

Moynihan continued with her point as Blow interjected:

BLOW: Can you acknowledge that Joe Biden won the election?

MOYNIHAN: Yeah.

BLOW: So, you can do it just now, but he couldn’t do it?

[CROSSTALK]

MOYNIHAN: I know you’re trying to get a social media clip, Charles, but–

[CROSSTALK]

MOYNIHAN: I know you’re trying to get your social media clip for the “gotcha”–

BLOW: Ma’am–

MOYNIHAN: I answered your question already. And I’m also not here to answer to you, so–

BLOW: I’m happy that you told me that because I really appreciate– I’m sorry. I really appreciate you lecturing me about what I’m here to do, because I’m here because Abby’s show invited me here. And I have been in journalism for a very long time. In fact, I came to The New York Times the year that you were born. So, I would choose– I would suggest that you choose a lane that is your own and stay in it. And don’t lecture me because I won’t be lectured by a child. Thank you.

During confirmation hearings, Democratic senators have asked Trump nominees about the 2020 election. The nominees have typically acknowledged that Biden was the president, but have avoided saying Biden won or Trump lost the election, which Trump falsely claims was rigged.

Watch above via CNN.

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