The US Senate confirmed Jay Clayton as the director of national intelligence on Tuesday, placing a permanent head of the country's spy agencies as President Donald Trump continues to push unsubstantiated claims of election fraud ahead of the midterm elections. The vote was 51-47, with all Democrats opposing. Clayton replaces Tulsi Gabbard, who stepped down in June after a tenure marked by clashes with congressional Democrats over allegations that she advanced Trump's political agenda and promoted debunked election claims. Trump praised Clayton on his social media platform, calling him 'outstanding in every way' and predicting he would do a 'spectacular job' as director. Clayton, a former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, has no prior intelligence experience but has been a loyalist to Trump. His confirmation came amid heightened partisan tensions over the role of intelligence agencies and the integrity of US elections. Democrats argued that Clayton would not provide independent oversight and would instead serve Trump's political interests. The position oversees 18 intelligence agencies and coordinates the nation's intelligence activities.