Senate expected to confirm Jay Clayton as next intelligence director
[July 28, 2026]
By MARY CLARE JALONICK
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is expected to confirm Jay Clayton on
Tuesday to become head of the nation’s intelligence agencies, ensuring
that a permanent director is in place as the midterm elections approach.
Clayton is expected to be confirmed along party lines after a
contentious hearing two weeks ago in which he repeatedly refused to say
that former President Joe Biden won the 2020 election. Still, Democrats
have said they have more confidence in Clayton than they do in Trump’s
temporary pick for the job, Bill Pulte, who has no known intelligence
experience and investigated the president’s perceived enemies in his
previous post as a federal housing regulator.
Senators from both parties have expressed concerns about Pulte, who took
over on an interim basis last month after Tulsi Gabbard resigned. 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.
Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence
committee, said he had worked in the past with Clayton, who is the U.S.
attorney for the Southern District of New York and a former Securities
and Exchange Commission chairman. After the hearing, 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.
The Senate voted 51-43 along party lines on Monday to advance Clayton’s
nomination.
Clayton won’t say Biden won the 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 told senators that he had no involvement with Trump’s primetime
speech, but he said repeatedly that the election was “certified” for
Biden, declining to say outright that the Democrat won.
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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)
Warner said at the end of the hearing that he was “bitterly
disappointed.” 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.”
Republicans tried to quickly confirm Clayton
Republicans were hoping to confirm Clayton in June so he could
replace Gabbard without Pulte serving as interim. But Trump delayed
Clayton’s nomination before the Senate left for a two-week recess,
allowing Pulte to take the job temporarily.
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.”
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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