On Wednesday, Charles Blow did not accept dismissive remarks from New York Post journalist Lydia Moynihan. During a heated discussion on CNN’s “NewsNight With Abby Phillip,” Moynihan accused the seasoned journalist of merely attempting to create a viral “social media clip.”
Blow had questioned Moynihan on whether she could confirm that former President Joe Biden won the 2020 election. This came after Jay Clayton, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and nominee for director of national intelligence by President Donald Trump, publicly declined to do so.
Moynihan replied affirmatively, but added: “I know you’re trying to get a social media clip, Charles.”
Blow, known for his work as a former op-ed columnist for The New York Times and political analyst for MS NOW, who founded his high school newspaper and graduated magna cum laude from Grambling State University, responded firmly.
“I really appreciate you lecturing me about what I’m here to do,” he remarked to Moynihan.
Blow continued, “I’m here because Abby’s show invited me, and I have been in journalism for a very long time. In fact, I joined The New York Times the year you were born, so I suggest you find your own lane and stay in it.”
He concluded with, “And don’t lecture me, because I won’t be lectured by a child.”
Moynihan did not respond but had earlier defended Clayton during the show. Clayton faced tough questions in his confirmation hearing from Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) about the legitimacy of Biden’s 2020 election win as Trump continues to claim otherwise without evidence.
Clayton refused to give a straight answer. He told Ossoff, “I’m not going to do this with you” and added a lukewarm, “Joe Biden was certified as the president.” Phillip remarked, “Lydia, that’s kind of embarrassing … If he can’t just state a fact, how can he do that other job?”
“I mean, he’d been asked, I think, three times at that point, and he did mince words,” Moynihan replied, adding: “But there’s a lot of theatrics at these kind of hearings. Jon Ossoff got his soundbite, and Republicans kind of do the same thing.”
She continued, “They love to ask, ‘What is a woman?’ And [Supreme Court Justice] Ketanji Brown Jackson couldn’t answer [during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in 2022]. A lot of people still can’t answer that question. So to me, it’s theatrics.”
It was then that Blow interjected to ask her about the 2020 election. Moynihan was previously confronted on “NewsNight” in December for defending racist comments from Trump at the time — and arguing that certain cultures are “not compatible” with America.
Trump is set to present new claims about the 2020 election in a primetime address Thursday.
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