WASHINGTON (AFP) : The US Senate confirmed Jay Clayton as Donald Trump’s top intelligence official on Tuesday (Jul 28), putting a permanent chief in charge of the country’s spy agencies as the president revives unsupported election fraud claims ahead of the midterms. Clayton takes over from acting director of national intelligence Bill Pulte, a Trump loyalist with no relevant experience whose brief tenure alarmed lawmakers in both parties. Hours before Clayton’s confirmation vote, Pulte boasted that a fifth round of dismissals would bring staffing reductions at the intelligence coordinating body to about 30 per cent within weeks. Repeatedly asked whether Democrat Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, Clayton would only say that Biden had been “certified” as the winner. Democrats had resisted renewing the authority while Pulte remained acting intelligence chief, citing fears of administration overreach.