Senate nears vote on intelligence director

The Senate is poised to confirm Jay Clayton as the nation’s intelligence chief, filling the post with a permanent leader ahead of the midterm elections.

By

National News

July 28, 2026 - 3:28 PM

Jay Clayton testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, July 15, 2026, in Washington. Photo by AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib

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…

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