https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/july-16-2026
"An exchange yesterday between Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and Jay Clayton,
Trump’s nominee to oversee the U.S. intelligence community as director of
national intelligence, illustrated the dilemma of those trying to force Trump’s
lies onto the American people when they are confronted with reality.
Ossoff asked Clayton: “Who won the 2020 election?”
Clayton responded: “Uh, you know, I’m not, I’m not gonna do this with you.
Ossoff: “This is a job interview. We’ve established that you have an obligation
to be honest and forthright with the committee.”
Clayton agreed.
Ossoff: “Who won the 2020 election?”
Clayton: “Like I said, I’m not I’m not gonna get into that with you.”
Ossoff continued to ask, and Clayton continued to refuse to answer the
question, saying: “We can keep doing this,” and saying he was not going to
“engage in the theater.”
Ossoff said: “You’re here asking for the support of senators to lead America’s
intelligence community. We’ve 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?”
Clayton: “No, that’s not right.”
Ossoff: “Then answer the question. Who won the 2020 election?”
Clayton: “I have answered the question.”
Ossoff: “Answer it. What is your answer?”
Clayton: “I’ve given you my answer.”
Ossoff: “What is your answer?”
Clayton sat in silence.
Ossoff: “You refuse to answer a basic question about who won a presidential
election? But you ask to lead America’s intelligence community? 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?”
Clayton could not answer because, although all of the claims of Trump and his
loyalists that he won the 2020 presidential election have collapsed in court,
Trump requires his cronies to claim that the election was stolen in order to
have justification for rigging future elections. They know the truth—that Trump
lost the 2020 presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden by more than 7
million votes and by 51.3% to 46.8% in the Electoral College. But they refuse
to say so because if they do, they will lose Trump’s favor."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
