Jay Clayton was sworn in as the United States director of national intelligence on Tuesday, August 4th, 2026, following a contentious Senate confirmation hearing. During the hearing, Clayton notably refused to directly acknowledge that Donald Trump lost the 2020 presidential election.

The oath of office was administered by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in the Oval Office, with the president present and applauding. Clayton becomes the ninth director of national intelligence, succeeding Tulsi Gabbard, who stepped down in June.

Clayton, a former US attorney for the Southern District of New York and chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from 2017 to 2020, will oversee 18 US intelligence agencies. His tenure at the SEC included overseeing more than 2,300 enforcement actions resulting in over $10 billion in penalties and disgorgement.

His appointment follows a turbulent period during which Bill Pulte, a housing regulator with no national security experience, served as acting director after Gabbard's departure. Pulte's appointment unsettled some Republicans. Shortly before Clayton's confirmation, Pulte released intelligence community documents from 2020 that described China's capacity to interfere in US politics and vulnerabilities in the election system.

In a press release from the office of the director of national intelligence, Clayton stated, “The safety and security of the American people will be our North Star, and we will work to make sure the American people have complete confidence in the [intelligence community] through proper oversight, transparency and accountability.”