Trump Official CRUMBLES on CROSS EXAM Over CRITICAL ISSUE!

[00:00:00]It's Scott McFarland reports. For team Trump, there are some big self-inflicted wounds right here on Capitol Hill. Not from their tough answers to questions from senators. It's from their non-answers to questions from senators. The way they won't affirm or deny pointblank basic things. Perhaps this was the most illustrative exchange in the past few days. Senator Elizabeth Warren was questioning a Treasury nominee, Francis Brooke, about whether the department might try to claw back social security benefits, social security money from people who have defaulted on federal loans years ago. Listen to the back and forth. Listen for the non-answer.

[00:00:40]>> Mr. Brookke, can you commit to me this morning in this hearing that the Treasury Department will not take away Social Security benefits from seniors with defaulted loans?

[00:00:52]Well, thank you for the question, Senator. Treasury is playing a a fiscal agent role with respect to this program if >> So, you're going to take this money away from seniors. Is that what you're telling me?

[00:01:03]>> Um, that's not what I said, Senator. If confirmed, I'd be happy to continue to work with your office on this issue.

[00:01:08]>> Are you going to take the money away from the seniors or not? Department of Education had said they would not do this. All I need you to do is say we're going to follow the same policy that the Republican Department of Education was following and I can't get an answer.

[00:01:24]>> Thank you for the question, Senator. Um, you know, be happy to continue to work with that. Secretary McMahon Secretary Secretary McMahon has been very clear on the issue.

[00:01:34]>> You know, I I just want to say I'm asking for the minimum here. I'm not into the 9 million people whose lives have been turned upside down. I'm just looking for the half a million people who are seniors. Just a commitment that they can count on getting that social security payment month after month after month without Donald Trump taking a big bite out of it. And I can't even get that out of this nominee. Uh I'll be a no on you.

[00:02:02]>> I asked Senator Warren for her reaction to that exchange. Quite a moment in the hearing when the IRS nominee couldn't commit on Social Security. What did you make of it? So, look, these guys really worry me. And the reason is because the student loan program is already under assault by the Republicans. We got 9 million people in this country right now who are in default on their student loans. They're seeing their credit ruined. They can't It's just horrible what's happening to them. But nearly half a million of them are seniors and technically the law says that their social security could be grabbed by the federal government. Now when the new secretary of education came in, not my favorite person, but I sat down with her and got a commitment that the federal government would not do that. We haven't done it. Didn't do it during the Biden administration. She said we won't do that. So, we got this new nominee in now because they're moving the loan portfolio over.

[00:03:04]Ask the guy who wants to be the guy at the IRS in charge. Ask him, "Can [clears throat] you commit that you won't start grabbing a big chunk of senior social security checks?" And >> he seemed to equivocate >> equivocate. He said blah blah blah blah, you know, I mean, it was just I will blah blah blah. And he thought it was going to be good enough to say, I'll work with you on that. Oh, I don't work with anybody on it. I want a commitment.

[00:03:33]You're not going to do it. And I didn't get that commitment.

[00:03:37]>> Oh. Oh, and then there's the matter of the 2020 election and the denialism about the election results and this remarkably frustrating, if not stubborn, back and forth we've been heard consistently at congressional hearings this summer. Take a listen. So, can you tell me why Joe Biden was certified as the winner of the 2020 election?

[00:04:04]Yeah, I I really [laughter] uh I'm going back to my constitutional law here, but I don't want to continue to have a debate about this, but uh I believe he had the most electoral votes.

[00:04:15]>> So, he won the election.

[00:04:17]>> He he followed our process, had the most electoral votes, was declared the winner, and >> And who has the most electoral votes? Is it the person that wins or the person that loses?

[00:04:27]>> I think that's your characterization. I I really I'm not going to continue. The reason why we struggle with this, and I think it's especially important in the job you're nominated for, is because it seems that folks who are nominated for these positions just fundamentally refuse to disagree with something the president says. And the problem I have with this >> Mhm.

[00:04:57]>> is he isn't in the room today. You're going to be in a room with him many times.

[00:05:06]And at times you should have a difference of opinion. And if you can't disagree with him when he's not in the room, are you going to be able to disagree with him when you're sitting across from him in the Oval Office or the situation room?

[00:05:23]>> We're clearly in an election cycle where voters are far more concerned about prices, about cost, housing, college, food, and about their safety and about the war than they are about the battles they have here in Washington. But we will see if voters are at all motivated by people who can't or intrigently won't acknowledge basic facts. These exchanges do go viral and they do linger in the minds of potentially some voters. You want to talk about a mouthful of mush.

[00:05:54]Those guys do not want to give answers.

[00:05:57]They don't want to give answers about whether rain is wet. And they sure don't want to give answers about what their plans are in dealing with Donald Trump.

[00:06:06]But you know that is the answer cuz the answer is for them. Whatever Donald Trump wants is what Donald Trump gets.

[00:06:15]I've been reading through all the comments that have been left about these memorable for better or for worse congressional hearings this summer. The way Trump administration officials have been questioned and the way they have either answered or not answered. Jay Bearer writes, "I absolutely love how John Oaf handles these conversations.

[00:06:34]It's a work of art and curious why there's not been mention of the total misuse of funds last year by the administration." Well, take a listen to one of Osaf's exchanges with Pete Hassary. Day 14, nearly five months ago, you stated that Iran's military had been quote destroyed and quote made combat ineffective. That was on day 14 of the war. or was that an accurate statement?

[00:07:01]>> Um, they didn't have a navy any longer.

[00:07:03]It was completely sunk. Uh, their missiles were buried underneath a lot of their underground facilities and their defense industrial base has been almost completely destroyed. So, as far as a a military assessment of Iran's capabilities, it doesn't didn't mean by any stretch of the imagination absolute zero, but they're the lowest level. On day 14 [clears throat] of this conflict, in the second week of the conflict, you stated that Iran's military had been quote destroyed and quote made combat ineffective. Was that an accurate statement?

[00:07:34]>> Yes or no?

[00:07:35]>> Iran's ability to challenge the United States of America at the level at which we're capable of.

[00:07:39]>> That's not what I asked you, Mr. Secretary. You said on day 14 Iran's military had been quote destroyed and quote made combat ineffective. Yes or no? Was that an accurate statement?

[00:07:52]>> What the American military has done, the Iranian military is a historic military in effect in that context.

[00:07:59]>> Please keep the comments coming. Please keep your questions coming. We read through every one of them. I go through each line on our YouTube page, on our Substack feed, and on our social media feeds because your questions help inform the questions I ask here. We are on duty indefinitely. At Scott McFarland Reports, I really appreciate your support. Really want to thank you for watching. You can comment, share, and subscribe for exclusive reporting, breaking news 365 days a year right