The US Senate confirmed Jay Clayton as the director of national intelligence on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in a 51-47 vote strictly along party lines. All Republicans supported Clayton's nomination, while all Democrats opposed it.

Clayton, currently serving as the US attorney for the southern district of New York, will replace Bill Pulte, a temporary appointee and staunch Trump loyalist. Clayton previously chaired the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) during former President Trump's first term.

During his confirmation hearing on July 15, Clayton sidestepped several questions regarding the 2020 presidential election and declined to acknowledge that Trump lost. In a June interview on CNBC, he expressed concerns about the lengthy ballot counting process in California, stating, “We had a problem, a deep problem with voting in America,” and criticized the integrity of the voting system. However, he did not confirm whether voter fraud was a significant issue, despite studies showing it to be exceedingly rare.

Before the Senate vote, Oregon Democrat Senator Ron Wyden opposed Clayton's nomination, labeling him unqualified and warning that he would serve as the president’s “election conspiracy win.”

The government also abruptly withdrew subpoenas during a court hearing after a federal judge questioned an attorney from Clayton’s office about errors and irregularities in those subpoenas.

Clayton’s confirmation adds another key Trump ally to the nation’s intelligence leadership following the resignation of Trump’s first director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, earlier this year.

Sources