Jay Clayton Concedes Biden's 2020 Win at DNI Hearing as Democrats Press Election Legitimacy
Updated
Updated · POLITICO · Jul 15
Jay Clayton Concedes Biden's 2020 Win at DNI Hearing as Democrats Press Election Legitimacy
3 articles · Updated · POLITICO · Jul 15
Summary
Jay Clayton, under sustained Senate questioning, ultimately said Joe Biden was “fairly and duly elected” in 2020 after initially limiting himself to saying Biden had been certified president.
Democrats turned the hearing into a test of whether Trump’s DNI nominee would reject false election claims, with Mark Warner and Angus King criticizing his refusal to give a direct answer earlier in the session.
Clayton said he had no role in Trump’s planned primetime address on 2020 election allegations, which is expected a day after the hearing despite prior court and intelligence reviews rejecting such claims.
Republicans stayed united behind Clayton’s nomination, and with no Democratic votes needed, the fight centered less on confirmation math than on fears Trump could use intelligence powers to cast doubt on future elections.