Trump's new spy chief confirmed by US Senate

Jay Clayton has been confirmed as the next US director of national intelligence (DNI), after President Donald Trump's original choice was rejected by lawmakers.

On Tuesday, the US Senate voted 51 to 47 to install Clayton, replacing the acting DNI Bill Pulte. Pulte was Trump's original pick but faced backlash for being a housing official with no national intelligence experience.

Clayton had been serving as US attorney for the Southern District of New York, overseeing several prominent cases including the drug trafficking case against former Venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro.

"Jay is outstanding in every way, and will do a spectacular job as Director!" Trump posted afterwards on Truth Social.

Clayton, who is also a former securities regulator and federal prosecutor, succeeds Tulsi Gabbard, who left her job last month and was replaced temporarily by Pulte.

Pulte's initial appointment in early June raised alarm for both parties, as the Trump loyalist used his other role as federal housing regulator to refer several of the president's political opponents for possible prosecution and oversaw staffing cuts.

Shortly before the vote for Clayton's appointment passed, Pulte posted about the cuts on X, writing that "we are, this morning, executing a 5th and near final round of terminations, an approximately 30% staff reduction from weeks ago".

Shortly after the alarm in June over Pulte, Trump announced Clayton as his replacement nominee. Senators sought to move quickly with his confirmation.

However Clayton's first scheduled appearance before the Senate intelligence committee on 17 June was called off by Trump, who blamed lawmakers for allowing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa) to lapse.

Initially, Democrats welcomed Clayton as a more conventional nominee than Pulte, though their opinion seemed to change during his confirmation hearing earlier this month.

Clayton was repeatedly asked whether former Democratic president Joe Biden won the 2020 election, to which he replied by saying that Biden had been "certified" as the winner. "I'm not an election denier," Clayton told senators.

Senate Intelligence Committee Vice-Chair Mark Warner, a Democrat, said afterwards that he "came away from [Clayton's] confirmation hearing with serious reservations about whether he would be willing to stand up to political pressure".

"I sincerely hope he proves those concerns unfounded, because the Intelligence Community deserves steadier leadership than it has received in recent months," Warner said in his statement.

Clayton's confirmation could help revive congressional negotiations on Section 702 of Fisa. This legislation allows the US government to collect communications involving foreigners abroad without an individual warrant, and Trump has been pushing for its long-term renewal.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, said on Monday: "I hope [Clayton's appointment] will encourage my colleagues to stop blocking reauthorisation of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act".