NewzClayton's hearing earlier this month at times erupted into shouting, as Clayton insisted to several Democratic senators that he was not an election denier. House and Senate Republican leaders are heading to Dallas to embrace the president who has done the most to shape — and complicate — their political fortunes.Why it matters: Majority Leader John Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson don't have much of a choice about attending September's midterm convention. President Trump doesn't tolerate high-profile dissent, and both leaders know their best chance of staying in power is by staying united.But for Republicans in tight races, the two-day political extravaganza presents a difficult choice.They can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Trump, raise money from big-dollar donors and bask in the MAGA media glow.Or they can stay home and create some separation from a president whose approval ratings are sinking.Zoom in: Sen.
Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and former GOP Rep. Mike Rogers, who is running for U.S. Senate in Michigan, are both planning to attend, according to people familiar with the matter.
So is Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, another GOP Senate candidate.However, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), the only Republican who represents a state that President Trump lost, is unlikely to make it and will be campaigning in her home state, according to a person familiar with the matter.Spokespeople for Sen. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) and Michael Whatley, the GOP Senate nominee in North Carolina, declined to comment or didn't preview their boss' plans.
Hinson and Collins are also seeking Senate seats. In addition to Johnson, Majority Leader Scalise (R-La.) and Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) plan to attend. National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) are both scheduled to be in Dallas.Zoom out: The Sept.
9-10 convention is still six weeks out, and senators and representatives have never been confronted with a mid-September, mid-cycle political convention.Party committees are starting to ask donors about attendance, but details — and programming — are sparse."The upcoming Midterm Convention is an opportunity for Republicans across the country to rally behind President Trump's America First agenda that's brought lower drug prices, lower taxes, and a secure border," RNC national press secretary Natalie Baldassarre said.What they're saying: "I'm proud that Dallas will host the RNC Mid… Senators voted 51-47 to confirm Jay Clayton as intelligence chief, with all Democrats opposing his appointment. (EPA Images pic)WASHINGTON: The US Senate confirmed Jay Clayton as Donald Trump's top intelligence official Tuesday, putting a permanent chief in charge of the country's spy agencies as the president revives unsupported election fraud claims ahead of the midterms.Senators voted 51-47 to confirm Clayton's appointment, with all Democrats in the upper chamber voting against it.The former securities regulator and federal prosecutor succeeds Tulsi Gabbard, who resigned last month, and inherits an 18-agency intelligence community shaken by leadership turnover and staff cuts.His appointment comes amid concern that Trump is drawing national security agencies into his effort to relitigate the 2020 election and cast doubt on the integrity of the coming vote.Earlier this month, Trump used a televised White House address to release declassified intelligence he claimed showed Chinese interference while again falsely asserting that the 2020 election was stolen.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.Pulte has used his other role as federal housing regulator to refer several of Trump's political opponents for possible prosecution and oversaw sweeping cuts at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.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 percent within weeks.'Between a rock and a hard place'Democrats had initially welcomed Clayton as a more conventional alternative to Pulte, but turned sharply against him during his confirmation hearing.Repeatedly asked whether Democrat Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, Clayton would say only that Biden had been "certified" as the winner."I'm not an election denier," Clayton told senators, without directly answering the question.Senate Intelligence Committee vice chair Mark Warner said Democrats were caught "between a rock and a hard place" because they preferred Clayton to Pulte but were deeply troubled by his response.It "suggests that if the president wants the intelligence agencies to cook up something to justify voter interference in the mi…
Clayton has no intelligence background and, during his confirmation hearing, he refused to acknowledge Trump lost the 2020 presidential election. Senate confirmed the next director of national intelligence hours after the office's temporary leader announced another round of firings. President Donald Trump's nominee to be director of national intelligence, testifies July 15 during a Senate Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington.
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