Clayton Named DNI Amid Election-Claim Controversy

Senators voted 51-47 to confirm Jay Clayton, a former Manhattan U.S. attorney and ex-SEC chair, as the head of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, replacing acting DNI Bill Pulte. Clayton takes over a post tied to Trump-era election narratives, and while he said he’s not an election denier, he avoided explicitly stating the 2020 winner. He previously suggested California mail voting was being abused, a claim he did not substantively clarify during confirmation. Clayton brings a securities-law background to ODNI, which has been involved in election-related disclosures under previous leadership.