Patrick Hovakimian has been nominated for General Counsel for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, but it was his current work at the Department of Justice about which he seemed confused. Senator Kamala Harris asked him some very simple yes/no questions about his knowledge of and/or involvement in the deployment of Stormtroopers extra-military troops to cities like Portland, to clamp down violently on peaceful demonstrators, protesting vile police brutality and racism against Black people. Instead of answering her directly, Hovakimian seemed shaky, sweaty, and confused. Much like a person might seem if the answer to her questions might have gotten him into some trouble.
HOVAKIMIAN: The deployment of federal law enforcement officers. Uh...
SEN. HARRIS: Well, let's not parse words. Were you in any way involved in the decision to send federal officers to these locations?
HOVAKIMIAN: Senator, I'm a current DOJ official. There's a lot happening right now, and...
SEN. HARRIS: Please, if you could do a yes or no answer, that would be helpful.
HOVAKIMIAN: Senator, I advise the attorney general, and the deputy attorney general on any number of topics...
SEN. HARRIS: Have you advised on this topic? Let's focus on the subject that I've raised.
HOVAKIMIAN: Senator, I have sight lines into a great many of the things DOJ does. This does not happen to be one of them.
SEN. HARRIS: So, you were not involved in any of these decisions, you're saying?
HOVAKIMIAN: Well, like any big, major organization, there's a division of labor at the department --
SEN. HARRIS: I'm aware of that, but it's a very specific question I'm asking you. Were you involved in any way in the decision to deploy federal law enforcement officers to the very cities we've been discussing during the protests?
How she didn't take off one of her shoes and launch it directly at his forehead is absolutely beyond me. He is f*cking mansplaining to a U.S. Senator how great big organizations break down tasks into smaller ones to share between people so that not just one person has to do the whole great big thing all by themselves! I mean, that is so helpful and relevant to this question!
SEN. HARRIS: Can you answer the question? Were you involved, or not?
HOVAKIMIAN: Senator, there are ongoing law enforcement operations in the country, you know, to protect the --
SEN. HARRIS: So, you're not gonna answer this question directly, sir? I will move on if you're not going to answer the question.
HOVAKIMIAN: I'm attempting to answer the question, Senator.
SEN. HARRIS: Were you involved?
HOVAKIMIAN: Senator, I advised the attorney general and deputy attorney general on everything under the sun, and I always bring to the table a respect for Constitutional right for the first amendment. That is something I turn to frequently when advising them.
Who has any hair left? Do YOU have any hair left? *I* don't have any hair left! I pulled ALL OF IT OUT just transcribing that video!
Boy, it sure seems like either he advised them against deploying troops and he is terrified to say so for fear the Republican members of the Senate won't vote for him, or he advised IN FAVOR of deploying troops and is terrified to say so for fear of outing himself as a Nazi weasel. Either way, he is clearly unfit, and Sen. Kamala Harris deserves several martinis after that round of questioning.
