U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday after Trump canceled his initial hearing in June.
Jay Clayton, President Donald Trump’s pick to be the next director of national intelligence (DNI), said on July 15 that he will work to enhance trust, communication, and coordination.
Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday. He emphasized that he will take steps to increase trust in the DNI office, the intelligence community, and the federal government.
“The mission of the director of national intelligence is clear: to ensure that the policymakers and institutions that the intelligence community serves, especially the president, our military leaders, and Congress, receive the best possible intelligence in a timely, objective, and independent manner,” Clayton said.
Trump’s nominee said he would approach the role of DNI “mission-focused and team-oriented.” He said he would work to strengthen the coordination and communication between the intelligence community and the people it serves.
During his opening remarks, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), the committee’s chairman, said Clayton also intends to return the office of DNI to its original size, scope, and mission.
Trump announced Clayton’s nomination for intelligence chief on June 11. The announcement came after former DNI Tulsi Gabbard revealed in May that she would be stepping down from her position at the end of June to support her husband, Abraham Wilson, who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.
“Few people anywhere in the Legal Community are respected at the level of Jay. I encourage the United States Senate to confirm Jay as soon as possible,” Trump said in a June 11 Truth Social post.
Clayton was initially scheduled to testify before the committee on June 17 before Trump canceled the hearing. He accused Democrats of breaking an agreement to remove acting DNI Bill Pulte in return for the approval of an extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
