WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� The Senate has confirmed Jay Clayton to become head of the nation鈥檚 intelligence agencies, putting a permanent director in place weeks after President Donald Trump sought to .
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, , to take over for several weeks after former director Tulsi Gabbard .
Senators from both parties have expressed concerns about Pulte, a former housing regulator who had no intelligence experience. Pulte was in charge when Trump earlier this month doubling down on his false claims about the 2020 election, which he , 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 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 鈥渂itterly disappointed鈥� in Clayton after initially praising his nomination.
Warner said he would oppose Clayton鈥檚 nomination but acknowledged that Democrats are 鈥渂etween a rock and a hard place鈥� with Pulte in the job.
Trump praised Clayton after the vote, writing on social media: 鈥淛ay is outstanding in every way, and will do a spectacular job as Director!鈥�
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 about Biden鈥檚 win. Clayton said repeatedly at the hearing that the election was 鈥渃ertified鈥� for Biden, declining to say outright that the Democrat won.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he thought Clayton鈥檚 performance was 鈥渁bysmal,鈥� and that 鈥渕akes it much less likely that he will get Democratic votes.鈥�
Hours before the scheduled Senate vote on Clayton, Pulte released intelligence community documents from 2020 that described China鈥檚 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鈥檚 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.
鈥淚 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,鈥� Clayton said. 鈥淚f confirmed as Director of National Intelligence, I will commit to upholding these principles every day.鈥�
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 鈥渕orality, decency and integrity鈥� in his previous positions.
鈥淛ay Clayton is a highly qualified nominee with a deep experience combating a wide range of national security threats,鈥� Cotton said.
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