GOP senator exposes government incompetence with 'really basic' questions about border crisis: 'Do any of you know?'

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) proved Wednesday that Biden administration officials are unable to answer "really basic" questions about the border crisis.

At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing focused on unaccompanied migrant children, Kennedy quizzed senior government officials on elementary details about the ongoing crisis.

First, Kennedy asked Assistant Director of Homeland Security Investigations Cardell Morant how many "non-American citizens have come into our country illegally or on the basis of a claim of asylum" under President Joe Biden's watch. In response, Morant admitted that he does not know the number despite being a "senior member of Homeland Security."

Kennedy then asked the other three hearing witnesses — Joseph Salazar, director of Central American Affairs at the State Department; Robin Marcos, director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement; and Seema Nanda, solicitor of labor at the Labor Department — if they knew the answer.

But none of them knew the number.

"None of you know the number? Try 8 million. Now of that 8 million, how many were children, Mr. Morant?" Kennedy followed up.

"I don't have that number," Morant admitted again.

"You don't know? Does anybody know? None of you know? Isn't that special. Let's assume half, OK? Eight million is four Nebraskas, right? Four new states. Let's assume, half of them are children. How many of those 8 million people are still here? Do any of you know?" Kennedy asked the panel.

But the panel was again silent. Kennedy then peppered the witnesses with a rapid-fire round of question.

"How many of those 8 million are claiming asylum? You don't know? How many of them claim asylum and don’t show up for their hearing? Nobody knows? How many of them claim asylum, don't show up for their hearing and President Biden has deported them? You don't know?" the senator questioned. "How many of them have claimed asylum, shown up for their asylum hearing and been denied asylum and been deported? You don’t know. How many of them were from Mexico? You don't know."

Kennedy questions Salazar, Morant in Judiciarywww.youtube.com

Finally, Kennedy had enough.

"I ask really basic questions. I don't mean any disrespect, I appreciate you being here, and I know you all love our country," Kennedy said. "But I believe in straight answers. I like straight answers and breakfast food."

Kennedy said the inability of senior Biden administration officials to answer his questions indicates they are "not qualified to manage a food truck."

"That's like going to an oncologist and asking him, 'What's cancer?' and he says, 'I don't know,'" Kennedy quipped. "Give me a break."

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