Trump spy nominee Jay Clayton faces tense hearing after refusing to say Joe Biden won in 2020

Jay Clayton, President Trump's nominee for Director of National Intelligence, faced a tense Senate confirmation hearing where he repeatedly refused to acknowledge Joe Biden's 2020 election victory, stating only that Biden had been "certified" as president. Democratic senators, including Mark Kelly, pressed Clayton on this issue, with Kelly asking, "If you can't disagree with him when he's not in the room, are you going to be able to disagree with him when you're sitting across from him?" Clayton also faced questions regarding subpoenas he issued to New York Times journalists in his current role as US Attorney for Manhattan, which he defended as part of an "ongoing national security investigation." Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer stated that Clayton's performance was "abysmal, and it makes it much less likely that he will get Democratic votes." The Intelligence panel is expected to vote on his nomination next week.