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Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn) went viral for asking Facebook’s Head of Global Safety, Antigone Davis, if the tech giant would commit to ending “Finsta” during a Senate hearing on social media’s impact on children’s mental health.

A somewhat flustered Davis explained to the senator that “Finsta” is not one of their services, it is slang for a fake account made by a user on Instagram. In fact, she explained it more than once.

Dumbfounded and clearly confused by her response, Blumenthal pathetically replied, “Well, I don’t think that’s an answer to my question.”

Shouldn’t a U.S. Senator earning $174,000 per year be capable of sitting down at a computer and entering “What is finsta?” into Google?  More importantly, how can you make laws for a technology that you don’t even understand?

This isn’t a matter of age. Blumenthal’s blunder is emblematic of the arrogance that is so pervasive in Washington D.C. today. He thought it could simply dance his way through a crucially important senate hearing with a couple of bullet points compiled by his staff.

It might be comforting to believe that our elected officials are well-versed on issues prior to crafting sweeping legislation, but that’s just not the case. This laissez-faire approach to policy is how the American people wound up burdened with the “unintended consequences” of Obamacare – a bill that even former President Barack Obama failed to fully comprehend.

$174,000 per year is a generous salary that is wholly funded by the hardworking American taxpayer. It’s paid for by people who must demonstrate competence in their job duties to retain their positions. Blumenthal’s overt display of total ignorance is an insult to us all.