Sen. Warner says he won't vote to confirm Jay Clayton as DNI
Democratic Senator Mark Warner has announced he will vote against the confirmation of Jay Clayton as Director of National Intelligence. Warner cited Clayton's refusal to definitively state that Joe Biden won the 2020 election as the primary reason for his opposition.
Why it matters
The confirmation of high-level intelligence officials is critical for national security and the integrity of democratic institutions.
Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Sunday that he will not vote for Jay Clayton , currently the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, to be confirmed as director of national intelligence, a key intelligence oversight role.
"I've known Jay for a long time. I like him, but after his performance before my committee, his inability to answer the question about who won the 2020 election ... I am not going to vote for him," Warner told ABC News' "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl.
Warner's statement comes after Clayton was grilled by Democrats on the Senate Intelligence Committee last week, some repeatedly asking him who won the 2020 presidential election. Clayton refused to say that former President Joe Biden was the winner, saying only that he was "certified" as the winner.
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