Veteran Journalist Blow Clashes With Post Reporter Over Clayton's Election Refusal

During a Wednesday segment on CNN's "NewsNight With Abby Phillip," former New York Times columnist Charles Blow engaged in a heated exchange with New York Post financial correspondent Lydia Moynihan over Jay Clayton's Senate confirmation hearing testimony. Clayton, President Donald Trump's nominee for director of national intelligence and current U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, had refused to directly answer Democratic senators' questions about who won the 2020 presidential election, instead stating only that Joe Biden had been "certified" as winner.

When host Abby Phillip expressed concern about Clayton's evasiveness, Moynihan defended his performance as typical confirmation hearing "theatrics," arguing that both parties engage in similar tactics to generate soundbites. Blow then directly asked Moynihan: "Can you acknowledge that Joe Biden won the election?" After she confirmed she could, Blow pressed the contradiction: "So you can do it just now, but he couldn't do it?" Moynihan responded by accusing Blow of attempting to create a viral social media "gotcha" moment.

Blow rejected the characterization, pointing to his decades-long journalism career. "I came to The New York Times the year that you were born," he said, referencing Moynihan's age of 31 compared to his 55 years. He concluded: "I would suggest that you choose a lane that is your own and stay in it. And don't lecture me because I won't be lectured by a child."

Following the broadcast, Blow posted the exchange on his Substack account, stating that Moynihan had "ironically created" the viral moment she attempted to avoid. Moynihan responded on social media with a lighthearted jab: "Honestly flattered he thinks I look that young?!" The New York Post declined to comment beyond referring to Moynihan's statement. Blow, who left The Times in 2025, is currently an independent journalist and incoming Langston Hughes fellow at Harvard's Hutchins Center.