Laughter erupts in House when Trump-tied lawyer declares 'I have no awareness of anything'
Rep. Jerry Nadler burst out into laughter Thursday when a legal group leader with close political ties to former President Donald Trump testified to complete ignorance on all matters.
"I have no awareness of anything," America First Legal Vice President Gene Hamilton declared. Upon hearing Nadler chuckle, he affirmed, "I have awareness of what my clients tell me."
Nadler and Hamilton, a former Justice Department aide who helped shape Trump's travel bans, were engaged in a battle of wits during a House Judiciary's immigration subcommittee hearing on the Biden administration's southern border policy.
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But when Nadler faced off against the representative for America First Legal, a group that consists primarily of former Trump administration appointees with a professed mission to oppose the Biden administration, the New York Democrat decided to tackle another issue.
Specifically, Nadler took umbrage with an America First amicus brief filed last year in Missouri v. Biden, a lawsuit over the federal government's authority over social media companies that help spread false information.
America First's brief referenced transcripts from committee hearings never released to the public, prompting Nadler to ask Hamilton how he'd gotten hold of them.
"I'm not going to get into anything further, anything that would be protected by privilege," Hamilton replied. "The way that I talk to my clients...the way that I receive information from them is protected."
As the brief shows, Hamilton, the brief's co-author, was representing Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) and a group of Republican House representatives.
Nadler then explained he believes the interviews Hamilton cited were misrepresented, reminded Hamilton it is a sanctionable violation of federal civil procedure to misrepresent facts before a tribunal, and asked the America First executive to call on Jordan to release the transcripts.
Hamilton, unsurprisingly, refused.
The moment when Hamilton declared he had "no awareness of anything" was captured on video and shared on social media, where viewers were quick to share their views.
"That would be the understatement of the hearing," replied @roz_levine. "And also applies to his client, Jim Jordan."
"'I have no awareness of anything' is the least troubling thing this guy said," said Mr. Mojo Risin. "The rest of it was much worse."
"Was this guy hired from Groupon?" inquired Roodie.
"A moment of truth," wrote Julien G. "I’m in disbelief."