Congress Democrats were on a warpath, and neither Jay Clayton’s ‘job interview’ nor Todd Blanche’s ‘performance evaluation’ impressed

Wednesday, the 15th, was a tense day on Capitol Hill for two of President Trump’s high-profile nominees. Both Jay Clayton, tapped to lead the Department of National Intelligence, and Todd Blanche, the acting Attorney General seeking confirmation, spent hours in the hot seat as Democratic members of Congress launched a coordinated offensive. However, neither candidate seemed to have the answers needed for an easy confirmation.

According to The Hill, Jay Clayton faced questions regarding Trump’s ongoing attempts to revisit the 2020 election. It should be noted that Clayton’s confirmation is key to reauthorizing expired U.S. foreign spy powers. Democrats have refused to move forward as long as Trump loyalist Bill Pulte remained in the acting role. The hearing dwelt on election integrity and the administration’s handling of journalists.

Todd Blanche dealt with a different kind of scrutiny at the Senate Judiciary Committee. Per The Hill, one lawmaker described the event as more of a “performance evaluation” than a job interview. Blanche, who served as Trump’s defense attorney before moving into his role as acting Attorney General, faced aggressive questioning regarding DOJ activities since the beginning of Trump’s second term, especially the $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization” fund. 

Both candidates were put on the defensive

In Clayton’s hearing, several Democratic senators, including Mark Warner, Mark Kelly, Jon Ossoff, and Angus King, put Clayton on the spot about the 2020 election results. When asked directly if he believed Joe Biden won, Clayton stated, “I’m not an election denier,” and noted that Biden “was certified.” He added, “He went through our electoral process.” 

Interestingly, Clayton is a candidate who had received praise when named by the president. However, for many Democrats, his responses were inadequate. The Hill noted that Ossoff was particularly harsh. “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?”

CNBC reported that the committee also pressed Clayton on his knowledge of former Director Tulsi Gabbard’s involvement in raids on Fulton County, Georgia, election offices. Ossoff asked if Clayton was aware that Gabbard testified her presence was “requested by the president.” Clayton then admitted, “I’m not aware of that until now.” 

Per reports, Warner later remarked that it “strains credibility” to think a nominee for such a high-level intelligence post would be unaware of such a significant domestic event. Clayton also had to defend his decision to issue subpoenas to New York Times journalists. Per CNBC, he insisted that he operates through consultation with career prosecutors, but declined to provide specifics.

Blanche, on the other hand, found himself on the defensive over the “anti-weaponization” fund. The Hill reported that this was not only panned by Democrats, but it also sparked a revolt within Senate Republicans. In the hearing, Blanche found himself repeatedly claiming the issue was “moot” because he had already rescinded the document establishing it.

The New York Times also noted that Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas became a pivotal figure in Blanche’s hearing. Despite being a member of the President’s own party, Cornyn was not sold on the nominee. He pushed back against Blanche’s claims that the fund was dead. Cornyn pointed out that the president had not signed anything in writing to kill it. 

Per the outlet, Cornyn also questioned a memo Blanche signed that aimed to insulate the President and his businesses from broad investigations. Blanche insisted the agreement “binds only the IRS and by extension the Treasury.” Cornyn remained skeptical, though, telling reporters, “I hear what you’re saying, but I certainly don’t read that in the agreement.”

Democrats were even more pointed. Senator Cory Booker reportedly told Blanche, “So this isn’t a confirmation hearing. This is more of a performance review. And clearly, when it comes to the treatment of [Jeffrey] Epstein victims, when it comes to politically motivated prosecutions, when it comes from avoiding appearance of impropriety with corporations, you failed.” 

Senator Dick Durbin, the top Democrat on the panel, referenced a moment where Blanche previously told the President, “I love you, sir.” Per NYT, Durbin remarked, “This nation deserves an attorney general who loves the Constitution more than any single president.”

In a tense moment, when Senator Adam Schiff asked what happened to the prosecutor people once respected, Blanche fired back. “I am still here. I am the same exact person I was when I was a federal prosecutor in the SDNY, which is ‘do the right thing and do everything you can to keep communities safe.’” 

Still, as the Hill noted, the nominee made a notable slip. During questioning, he referred to himself as the President’s lawyer, quickly correcting it to “was his lawyer.”