Mark Warner says he'll vote against Trump pick Jay Clayton as DNI

Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia declared on Sunday that he will vote against Jay Clayton, President Trump's nominee for Director of National Intelligence. Warner, who had previously expressed optimism about Clayton, stated he was "bitterly disappointed" by the nominee's performance during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee last week.

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I've known Jay for a long time. I like Jay. I worked well with him when he was at the SEC. But I was bitterly disappointed by his performance in front of my committee

Warner, the top Democrat on the committee, highlighted Clayton's evasiveness when questioned about the 2020 election results. Although Clayton acknowledged Joe Biden's certification as president and stated he is "not an election denier," he avoided directly answering who won the election. Warner also pointed to Clayton's response regarding former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard's presence at an FBI search in Georgia, where Clayton appeared to feign ignorance about Gabbard's actions.

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not just from my questions, but from many of my colleagues.

"So I will be voting against Jay Clayton," Warner stated. He acknowledged that Clayton is still expected to advance out of the committee, given the Republican majority, and subsequently be confirmed by the Senate. Warner contrasted this with the current acting DNI, Bill Pulte, whom he described as an "absolute disaster" with no intelligence experience, solely possessing loyalty to Trump. Warner criticized Pulte's issuance of criminal referrals against Trump's political opponents, arguing such actions are inappropriate for the DNI role.

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So I will be voting against Jay Clayton

Warner's current stance marks a shift from his earlier remarks. Just weeks prior, he had praised Trump's nomination of Clayton, expressing hope for his swift confirmation. The senator also recently commented on the ongoing security situation, noting that Middle East bases have been "on and off under attack" since the Iran war began.

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we're a little rock-in-a-hard-place here.