Meghan McCain confronted Clapper about a statement he made while testifying before Congress five years ago, when he was asked whether or not the NSA was spying on Americans. "In 2013 when you were asked about it, you said 'no,'" McCain said. "So that is a lie."
"I made a mistake," Clapper said. "I didn't lie. I was thinking about something else, another program." Clapper then proceeded to prattle on about two different surveillance programs in an attempt to obfuscate his answer.
"I've been trotting up the Hill testifying for 25 years," Clapper said. "Gee, just for a change of pace, I think I'll lie on this one question and by the way do it on live television and do it in front of one of my oversight committees. So I made a mistake, but I didn't lie."Let's revisit the exchange that Clapper referenced.
In 2013 Sen. Ron Wyden asked Clapper: "Does the NSA collect any type of data at all on millions, or hundreds of millions, of Americans?"
He did not ask Clapper about a specific program. Wyden simply asked if the NSA was collecting any data at all on millions of Americans, and Clapper said no. As it turns out, his response was a lie, plain and simple. Instead of fessing up and admitting that he lied before Congress five years ago, he's doubling down.
Bre Payton is a staff writer at The Federalist.
Comment: Lying is a standard mastery for top jobs in Washington. Clapper isn't particularly good at it - even to defend his use of it.