Jay Clayton, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the US intelligence community, has been confirmed in a 51-47 vote. Clayton will step into his new job inheriting a diminished office whose authority and relevance are at a historic low point.
Background
The new director of national intelligence succeeds Bill Pulte, a combative and controversial housing executive with no national security experience. Pulte had been installed as acting director for a 40-day tenure and had accelerated sharp staffing cuts that Trump had ordered.
Clayton, whose legal career centered on corporate law before serving as a US attorney under Trump, must now chart a course for an organization that struggled with its mandate even before Donald Trump and his allies made it their top target.
Challenges Ahead
Current and former officials say that Clayton is going to oversee the obsolescence of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). The ODNI has been deeply degraded, and Clayton was vague about his plans during his confirmation hearing.
The National Intelligence Council, the top office responsible for presenting the consensus judgment of the intelligence community for policymakers, is severely understaffed. The ODNI is traditionally staffed by intelligence officers on loan from other agencies, and the turmoil has meant that it has become more difficult to recruit even for posts that the current administration might wish to keep.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
