US SENATE CONFIRMS CLAYTON AS TRUMP'S INTELLIGENCE CHIEF

The US Senate confirmed Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence on Tuesday, voting 51-47 along party lines to appoint him to lead the country's 18 spy agencies. All Republicans supported his nomination whilst all Democrats opposed it. Clayton, currently US attorney for the southern district of New York, replaces Bill Pulte, who had served temporarily in the role since June. The appointment follows the resignation of Tulsi Gabbard earlier in the year.

During his confirmation hearing on 15 July, Clayton declined to answer whether Trump lost the 2020 election and sidestepped questions about election integrity. In June, Clayton stated on CNBC that "we had a problem, a deep problem with voting in America" and that "the American people are right to question" electoral integrity, though several studies have found voter fraud to be exceedingly rare. His office issued subpoenas to New York Times journalists over their reporting on security concerns regarding Trump's Air Force One, which was a gift from Qatar. The government withdrew those subpoenas during a court hearing after a federal judge questioned errors and irregularities in them. Clayton previously served as chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission during Trump's first term and is a former federal prosecutor.

The confirmation comes as Trump has made unsupported claims of Chinese interference in elections and continues to dispute the 2020 result ahead of midterm voting. Democrats expressed concern that Clayton's appointment signals Trump's intention to draw national security agencies into efforts to relitigate the 2020 election and cast doubt on upcoming votes. Trump said on Truth Social that Clayton "is outstanding in every way, and will do a spectacular job as Director".