Tuesday, July 21, 2026 – The Senate Intelligence Committee advanced Jay Clayton’s nomination to become director of national intelligence on Tuesday by a vote of 9-8 along party lines.
Democrats uniformly opposed Clayton following a contentious confirmation hearing, where they repeatedly asked him whether former President Joe Biden won the election and defeated Donald Trump.
Clayton, who served as chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission, declined to state outright that Biden won the election but repeatedly described the vote as “certified” for him—a phrasing consistent with responses from many of President Trump’s nominees.
Clayton is expected to receive confirmation from the full Senate, though a specific date has not been set. He will replace Tulsi Gabbard, who resigned to care for her ailing husband, and Bill Pulte has been serving in an acting capacity.
His nomination could facilitate bipartisan efforts to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which expired in June. The law, designed to prevent terrorist attacks by monitoring communications of foreign targets outside the United States, stalled last month when Democrats refused to support it unless Pulte’s temporary appointment was withdrawn.
Clayton is currently the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, one of the most prestigious federal prosecution offices. His cases have included terrorism and espionage investigations as well as security fraud and public corruption matters.
By Alex Chen | Tuesday, 21 July 2026
