Jay Clayton has just been CONFIRMED as President Trump's Director of National Intelligence by

Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte just fired nearly 30% PERCENT of the office's workforce Democrats are furious.

Clayton, a former chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission and current U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, was confirmed on a party-line, 51-47 vote.

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Video — Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) Jul 28, 2026 Operative Telegram Feed 🚨 HOLY CRAP! https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2082231139637375002 2026-07-28T23:05:35.045Z 🚨 HOLY CRAP! Jay Clayton fits this mold," Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said on the Senate floor Monday.

"I just voted NO on Jay Clayton's nomination to be Director of National Intelligence. Why should someone who can't acknowledge who won the 2020 election oversee our intelligence agencies?" Sen.

Clayton's confirmation could also pave the way to a deal on the renewal of a foreign surveillance law, known as Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, that lapsed in June, in part due to Democratic opposition to Pulte's interim appointment to the position.

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"Amid a heightened threat environment, having a proven leader in this role is especially important. Trump announced Clayton as has choice for DNI in June, and he was initially seen as a relatively non-controversial pick.

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But Trump instructed Clayton not to appear the morning of a scheduled confirmation hearing in June, delaying the process.