Jay Clayton confirmed as new director of national intelligence
The Senate confirmed Jay Clayton as President Donald Trump’s director of national intelligence in a narrow party-line vote of 51-47, amid ongoing debates over government spy powers.Clayton, who dose not have a customary national security background, was previously the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and chairman of the SEC. His appointment comes at a time when negotiations to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act are stalled, raising concerns over surveillance practices that can include American citizens’ communications. The prior acting DNI, Bill Pulte, a Trump supporter, has been involved in declassifying documents related to foreign interference in the 2020 election and has executed staff reductions within the intelligence community. Clayton’s confirmation faced opposition from democrats due to his answers on election integrity issues. Trump has emphasized the need for additional legislation, like the SAVE America Act, to accompany surveillance renewals, but such bills face legislative hurdles.
The Senate voted to confirm Jay Clayton as President Donald Trump’s director of national intelligence on Tuesday amid a record-long lapse in government spy powers.
Clayton was confirmed by a party line vote of 51-47. As DNI, Clayton will overseen the country’s 18 intelligence agencies. The office was formerly headed by Tulsi Gabbard.
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“Amid a heightened threat environment, having a proven leader in this role is especially important. And Jay Clayton fits the mold,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said. “He’s supervised the prosecution of terrorists and the drafting of the indictment against Nicolas Maduro on drug-trafficking and terrorism charges.”
Clayton does not come from a national security background. He previously served as the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, and was formerly a chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Clayton’s nomination faced opposition from Democrats over his responses to questions regarding election integrity. Clayton refused to answer during his confirmation hearings who won the 2020 election when pressed by Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA), though he had previously said Joe Biden was certified through the Electoral College.
Clayton’s confirmation comes as negotiations to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act remain stalled. The controversial surveillance authority allows the National Security Agency to collect foreign intelligence by targeting non-Americans overseas without a warrant, but it can also sweep up Americans’ communications with those foreign targets, which the FBI has searched in the past.
Trump was himself a victim of FISA spying in 2016, when politically motivated senior officials used the tool to surveil the president’s successful 2016 White House campaign.
Trump has said that any renewals of the government spying program must be paired with passage of the SAVE America Act, which would require ID to cast a ballot and proof of citizenship to register to vote. The bill has stalled within the 53-47 GOP Senate because of insufficient support among Democrats to break the chamber’s 60-vote filibuster threshold.
Clayton replaces acting DNI Bill Pulte, who has been in the role since mid-June. Pulte, a Trump loyalist, has spent his time as the nation’s spy chief declassifying thousands of documents about alleged foreign interference in the 2020 election.
Pulte has also reduced staff at the office of the director of national intelligence through targeted firings, the most recent of which were announced Tuesday.
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“Good News! In addition to the Historic DECLASSIFICATIONS (Transparency!) by the President, we are, this morning, Executing a 5th and Near Final Round of TERMINATIONS, an approximately 30% Staff Reduction from Weeks Ago, Pulte said in a post on X. “The Intelligence Community must protect the American people, NOT the political whims of the bloated and corrupt elite class.”
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