Senate Votes to Advance Trump’s Nominee Jay Clayton for Director of National Intelligence

His nomination cleared the Senate Intelligence Committee in a 9–8 vote last week.

Jay Clayton, DNI nominee, testifies during his confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on July 15, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

The U.S. Senate on Monday voted to advance Jay Clayton’s nomination to serve as the director of national intelligence (DNI).

The Senate voted 51–43 to invoke cloture on his nomination, paving the way for a final confirmation vote. His nomination cleared the Senate Intelligence Committee in a 9–8 vote last week.

President Donald Trump nominated Clayton for the role after then-DNI Tulsi Gabbard said in May that she was stepping down to spend time with her husband following his cancer diagnosis.

Clayton is a former head of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and currently serves as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

If confirmed as DNI, he would head the U.S. intelligence community and act as the principal advisor to the president for national security-related intelligence matters.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told the Senate floor on July 27 that he supports Clayton’s nomination for the role, citing his record in the SEC and work in the Southern District of New York.

“Amid a heightened threat environment, having a proven leader in this role is especially important. And Jay Clayton fits the mold,” Thune said.

“Jay Clayton’s record inspires confidence in the type of DNI that he will be. And Democrats have previously recognized his abilities. He’s earned bipartisan support in the past.”

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) voted against Clayton’s nomination during the July 21 vote in the Senate Intelligence Committee.

At the time, Wyden accused him of spreading conspiracies about mail-in voting and said he has “proven himself incapable of … demonstrating an iota of independence from Donald Trump.”

Clayton had served as head of the SEC from May 2017 until December 2020. He also served as the head of law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, one of the world’s largest.

Trump previously tapped William Pulte, who leads the Federal Housing Finance Agency and oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to take on the intelligence leadership role after Gabbard’s resignation last month. His appointment drew scrutiny from Democrats who said he lacked experience in intelligence and national security.

Melanie Sun and Reuters contributed to this report.