The US Senate voted 51-47 along party lines to confirm former SEC Chairman Jay Clayton as Director of National Intelligence. Republicans supported the appointment, while Democrats opposed it.

Clayton's confirmation comes as President Donald Trump has renewed false claims about the 2020 election, raising concerns about the administration's handling of intelligence agencies ahead of the midterms.

Clayton will now oversee 18 intelligence agencies, including the CIA, NSA, and FBI, which have been dealing with leadership turmoil and staff cuts.

Democrats opposed Clayton after he repeatedly declined during his confirmation hearing to explicitly state that Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, saying only that the result had been "certified."

California Democratic Senator Adam Schiff told CNN that Clayton's refusal to unequivocally state that Biden won "suggests that if the president wants the intelligence agencies to cook up something to justify voter interference in the midterm elections, that Jay Clayton doesn't have the backbone to stand up to him."

Clayton replaces Tulsi Gabbard, who resigned in June. Trump temporarily installed Bill Pulte, a loyalist with no national security experience, as acting chief. Pulte oversaw a roughly 30% staff reduction and the release of 2020 intelligence documents.

Source: www.dw.com