Nominee for top intel post faces lawmakers eager to see him replace the current leader

Jay Clayton’s confirmation hearing comes amid growing concern among Democrats that the Trump administration will try to use the intelligence agencies to interfere with the midterm elections.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s nominee for director of national intelligence, Jay Clayton, is likely to get a friendly reception from lawmakers Wednesday at his confirmation hearing as both parties are eager for him to take over from the acting intelligence chief.

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Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers see Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, as a relatively safe pair of hands to replace Bill Pulte, a political partisan who came to the job without any clear national security experience.

The Senate Intelligence Committee will hold the confirmation hearing amid growing concern among Democrats that Trump and his administration could try to use intelligence or law enforcement agencies to interfere with state governments overseeing midterm elections in November.