Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, stated Sunday that he won’t vote for Jay Clayton, at present the U.S. legal professional for the Southern District of New York, to be confirmed as director of nationwide intelligence, a key intelligence oversight function.
“I’ve identified Jay for a very long time. I like him, however after his efficiency earlier than my committee, his incapacity to reply the query about who gained the 2020 election … I’m not going to vote for him,” Warner advised ABC Information’ “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl.
Warner’s assertion comes after Clayton was grilled by Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee final week, some repeatedly asking him who gained the 2020 presidential election. Clayton refused to say that former President Joe Biden was the winner, saying solely that he was “licensed” because the winner.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., seems on ABC Information’ “This Week” on July 19, 2026.
ABC Information
Nonetheless, Warner stated he anticipated Clayton to be confirmed.
“I believe Jay Clayton will get confirmed,” Warner stated. “And God prepared, I hope the man that turns into DNI is the man that I’ve identified and preferred and labored with.”
Clayton may be confirmed with out the assist of Democrats as Republicans management the Senate.
Warner on Trump’s elections speech
President Donald Trump final week delivered a primetime address to the nation wherein he accused some international nations, particularly China, of making an attempt to intrude in American elections beginning in 2020, an accusation which China denied.
Within the speech, Trump introduced the declassification of a number of paperwork he claimed confirmed that China had pulled off “the most important compromise of election knowledge in historical past” by buying data on American voters. Voter file knowledge is broadly accessible, both without cost or for buy, from any state within the U.S.
Senators on the Intelligence Committee from each events, together with Warner, have stated that the newly launched paperwork mirrored largely beforehand identified details about makes an attempt to intrude within the 2020 election and confirmed no proof that the election was stolen, as Trump has regularly stated.
Warner stated Sunday that whereas China is a priority, he sees Russia and Iran as larger threats.
“Russia was excellent at influencing our elections. They’ve been far and away probably the most outstanding participant, normally on behalf of Trump. Iran has been very lively as nicely, normally towards Trump,” Warner stated. “China’s acquired the capabilities, however they have been … much less about which candidate and extra like, can we simply make People lose confidence?”
President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White Home in Washington, July 16, 2026.
Saul Loeb/AFP by way of Getty Photographs
A Russian spokesman stated Friday that it has by no means interfered in U.S. elections.
As Trump continues to falsely declare that the 2020 election was stolen and that U.S. elections are usually not safe, the president once more pushed for the passage of the SAVE America Act, a sweeping voting invoice that will require photograph ID to vote and proof of citizenship, similar to a passport or a start certificates, to register to vote.
Democrats are united towards the invoice, which doesn’t at present have sufficient assist within the Senate to grow to be legislation. However requested Sunday if he would assist a narrower requirement to require photograph ID in U.S. elections, Warner stated he would assist a uniform ID requirement, however that the SAVE America Act goes too far.
“If you are going to have a set of IDs, let’s have it throughout the board so long as it comes from some official level,” Warner stated. “However this isn’t about voter ID. The SAVE Act is about voter disenfranchisement.”
