Jay Clayton has been sworn in as the US’s top spy after a contentious Senate confirmation hearing during which he refused to directly acknowledge that Donald Trump lost the ۲۰۲۰ presidential election.
The oath of office was administered to Clayton on Tuesday by the treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, in the Oval Office as the president looked on and applauded. He becomes the ninth director of national intelligence, replacing 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), will oversee ۱۸ US intelligence agencies. His appointment follows a turbulent two months in which the intelligence apparatus was temporarily led by Bill Pulte, the housing regulator whom Trump installed as acting director after Gabbard’s departure.
Pulte’s appointment had unsettled some Republicans because of his lack of national security experience. During his brief tenure, however, he became involved in the administration’s increasingly prominent campaign to raise concerns about the integrity of US elections.
Shortly before Clayton’s confirmation, Pulte released intelligence community documents from ۲۰۲۰ describing China’s capacity to interfere in US politics and vulnerabilities in the election system. The material was largely previously known but its release came as Trump has made “election security” a central political issue ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Trump has continued to promote false claims that the ۲۰۲۰ election, which he lost to Joe Biden, was stolen. During Pulte’s tenure, he also released classified material that he said supported his arguments.
Clayton’s own confirmation was overshadowed by the same issue. Democrats condemned his refusal to state that Biden had won the election, while Republicans ultimately confirmed him along party lines.
The controversy has raised questions about how the intelligence community will operate under a president who has repeatedly accused federal agencies of being “weaponised” against him.
In his first statement as director, Clayton sought to address those concerns, promising to protect the intelligence community from political interference.
“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,” Clayton said in a press release from the office of the director of national intelligence.
“This includes ensuring the vital work of our [intelligence community] is never weaponized for political motives,” he added, echoing language frequently used by Trump and his allies to describe their claims that previous administrations abused federal power to target the president.
Clayton brings substantial experience in law enforcement and government to the job. As US attorney in Manhattan, he oversaw prosecutions involving terrorism, international drug trafficking and organised crime. Before that, he chaired the SEC from ۲۰۱۷ to ۲۰۲۰, where the administration says he oversaw more than ۲,۳۰۰ enforcement actions resulting in more than $۱۰bn in penalties and disgorgement.
He has also held senior positions in business and law, including at Apollo Global Management and Sullivan & Cromwell, and has taught at the University of Pennsylvania and Wharton.
after newsletter promotion
Republican senators have pointed to that record as evidence that Clayton is qualified to lead the intelligence community.
John Thune, the Senate majority leader, has called him a “proven leader” whose record inspired confidence. Tom Cotton, chair of the Senate intelligence committee, said Clayton had deep experience in national security threats. Other Republican supporters highlighted his previous bipartisan confirmation as SEC chair.
Senator Katie Britt of Alabama added via X on Tuesday: “Congratulations to our Director of National Intelligence, Jay Clayton! I look forward to seeing him lead our intelligence community and keep our nation safe from threats.”
Clayton now inherits an intelligence community that has already endured a succession of upheavals under Trump. Gabbard’s tenure was marked by clashes with congressional Democrats, who accused her of advancing the president’s political agenda and promoting debunked election claims. Pulte’s temporary appointment then raised fresh concerns about the politicisation of the intelligence agencies.
Clayton said his aim was to create an intelligence organisation that was “streamlined, agile, team-oriented and mission-focused”. He added: “I look forward to making sure the men and women of the [intelligence community] have the resources they need to carry out our critical mission.”
With just more than three months left before midterm elections that will decide which party controls Congress, Trump has escalated efforts to make “election security” a central issue, despite established findings that voter fraud is rare.
