July 29, 2026 - WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) issued the following statement after voting against the confirmation of Jay Clayton to serve as Director of National Intelligence.

“Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte and former Director Tulsi Gabbard abused our intelligence community to feed President Trump’s election conspiracy theories and lay the groundwork for future election interference. When given the chance to restore some public trust in our national security leadership and our democracy, Jay Clayton refused to answer simple questions about who won the 2020 election like the other rubber-stamp election deniers in Trump’s orbit. So far, he has failed to show the backbone needed to stand up to Donald Trump and protect the integrity of our elections.

“After Tulsi Gabbard and the FBI seized ballots in Fulton County, Georgia, Trump and his Administration’s plans to interfere in future elections became even more clear. While it remains to be seen whether Jay Clayton will stand up to protect election integrity and national security, I will continue to fight back against attacks on our democracy and hold the Trump Administration accountable.”

Source: Senator Alex Padilla