Mark Warner Opposes Jay Clayton for DNI After 2020 Election Evasion
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Jul 19
Mark Warner Opposes Jay Clayton for DNI After 2020 Election Evasion
3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Jul 19
Summary
Mark Warner said he will vote against Jay Clayton for director of national intelligence, reversing his earlier support after Clayton’s confirmation hearing last week.
Clayton lost Warner over answers on the 2020 election and Tulsi Gabbard’s role in an FBI search of a Fulton County elections hub, with Warner saying the nominee acted evasively.
Warner, the top Democrat on the committee, said Clayton is still likely to clear the panel and win Senate confirmation because Republicans hold the majority.
Bill Pulte’s current tenure as acting DNI sharpened Warner’s criticism; he called Pulte an “absolute disaster” and cited criminal referrals targeting Trump political foes as evidence of politicization.
The break is notable because Warner had said just last month that he hoped Clayton would be confirmed quickly, underscoring how the hearing changed his view.