Senate confirms Jay Clayton as nation's intelligence director
[July 29, 2026]
By MARY CLARE JALONICK and ERIC TUCKER
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has confirmed Jay Clayton to become head of
the nation’s intelligence agencies, putting a permanent director in
place weeks after President Donald Trump sought to delay his nomination.
Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and a
former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, was confirmed 51-47
along party lines. Republicans had initially hoped to confirm Clayton in
June, but Trump delayed his hearing in order to allow his temporary pick
for the job, Bill Pulte, to take over for several weeks after former
director Tulsi Gabbard resigned.
Senators from both parties have expressed concerns about Pulte, a former
housing regulator who had no intelligence experience. Pulte was in
charge when Trump delivered a speech from the White House earlier this
month doubling down on his false claims about the 2020 election, which
he lost, and released classified documents that he said were relevant to
his arguments.
Democrats have also expressed concerns about Clayton, who lost
bipartisan support after a contentious hearing two weeks ago in which he
repeatedly refused to say that former President Joe Biden won the 2020
election.
Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence
Committee, said at the end of the hearing that he was “bitterly
disappointed” in Clayton after initially praising his nomination.
Warner said he would oppose Clayton’s nomination but acknowledged that
Democrats are “between a rock and a hard place” with Pulte in the job.
Trump praised Clayton after the vote, writing on social media: “Jay is
outstanding in every way, and will do a spectacular job as Director!”
Trump revisits false claims about 2020 election
The Democratic pushback on Clayton comes as Trump has made revisiting
2020 a primary focus, repeatedly trying to cast doubt on that election
and amplifying debunked theories about Biden’s win. Clayton said
repeatedly at the hearing that the election was “certified” for Biden,
declining to say outright that the Democrat won.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he thought Clayton’s
performance was “abysmal,” and that “makes it much less likely that he
will get Democratic votes.”
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Jay Clayton testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee
confirmation hearing to be the next Director of National
Intelligence on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in
Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
Hours before the scheduled Senate vote on Clayton, Pulte released
intelligence community documents from 2020 that described China’s
capacity to interfere in the American political process as well as
vulnerabilities in the election system.
The substance of the material was largely recycled and already
known, but its disclosure is part of the broader Trump
administration effort to raise concerns about the integrity of U.S.
elections.
Clayton emphasized his experience
Pulte has also said he has presided over a downsizing of the
national intelligence office, which functions as a coordinating hub
for the U.S. government’s intelligence agencies. He boasted on
social media that with the latest round of job cuts, the office is
carrying out about a 30% staff reduction from weeks ago. He has not
offered details about those cuts, making it hard to immediately
corroborate the extent of any reductions.
Clayton did not mention Pulte in the confirmation hearing. But he
emphasized his own government and national security experience,
attempting to assuage senators in both parties.
“I saw firsthand how a strong national security apparatus depends on
decisive judgment, discipline, integrity, and effective
communication and cooperation across different branches of the
government,” Clayton said. “If confirmed as Director of National
Intelligence, I will commit to upholding these principles every
day.”
Clayton also told senators that he had no involvement in Trump's
speech about the 2020 election.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who
expressed frustration last month when the hearing was delayed, said
that Clayton has a reputation for operating with “morality, decency
and integrity” in his previous positions.
“Jay Clayton is a highly qualified nominee with a deep experience
combating a wide range of national security threats,” Cotton said.
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