U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton’s abrasive performance before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on Wednesday likely lost him the vote of a “bitterly disappointed’ U.S. senator who has known him for years and was likely to support him, according to a new report.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) was expected to be a lock to vote for Clayon, based on his long-term relationship from his tenure as SEC chair, analyst Ken Dilanian told MS NOW’s “Morning Joe" viewers Thursday morning.
But that vote may now be gone after Clayton refused to admit that President Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential elections, he said.
MS NOW’s David Rohde said Warner was “ in shock” after Clayton's non-answers and Dilanian agreed.
“This is, once again, a situation where it was shocking, but not all that surprising that Jay Clayton answered the way he did," said Dilanian. "We've all now become familiar with the brief that these people have been given, about what they're allowed to say and what they aren't allowed to say in these hearings.”
Then Dilanian explained the source of Warner's surprise.
“Jay Clayton led the SEC in the first Trump Administration, and he emerged relatively unscathed,” he said. “He was seen by some Democrats, including Mark Warner... as a much better alternative than, obviously, than Bill Pulte, who is the acting Director of National Intelligence now.”
“He was seen as more favorable than even than Todd Blanche, who was the other nominee on the hill for a confirmation hearing yesterday,” he added.
That changed when Clayton refused to admit to Biden's 2020 victory, Dilanian concluded.
“Mark Warner," he said, "who had prepared possibly to vote in favor of Jay Clayton, was disgusted and has abandoned his support."