President Donald Trump has a new pick for the top intelligence job: Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and a familiar face from his first term. Trump announced the nomination on Truth Social Thursday, urging the Senate to confirm Clayton quickly. The White House formally sent the nomination to the Senate just after 5 p.m.
“Few people anywhere in the Legal Community are respected at the level of Jay,” Trump wrote.
Clayton previously chaired the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under Trump, so he's no stranger to high-stakes regulatory work. More recently, as SDNY attorney, he's focused on prosecuting violent crime and drug offenses. CIA Director John Ratcliffe recommended Clayton for the DNI role, according to CNN.
This nomination comes after a bit of a shake-up at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. In May, Tulsi Gabbard resigned as DNI, effective June 30, citing her husband's diagnosis with a rare form of bone cancer. Her departure followed 18 months on the job and months of reported tensions with Trump.
To fill the gap, Trump tapped Bill Pulte, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director, as acting DNI. That move drew immediate bipartisan fire. Critics questioned Pulte's qualifications and his complete lack of intelligence experience. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) pointed out that Pulte's conduct at the FHFA had already sparked a watchdog investigation, accusing Trump of “rewarding his lackey” despite Pulte having “no national security experience.” Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) also weighed in, cautioning, “We don’t need a weaponized DNI, we need professionals there.”
Trump, however, plans to keep Pulte as acting director for a little while longer. He told reporters in the Oval Office, “He’s only there for a little while, he’s running it for a short while.” Earlier this month, Trump also declared the Office of the DNI “too big” and “unnecessary,” and privately directed Pulte to start cutting staff, specifically targeting holdovers from the Biden and Obama administrations.
With Clayton's nomination, the administration seems to be pivoting to a more traditional pick—someone with legal gravitas and Washington experience. Whether the Senate moves quickly remains to be seen, but Trump is clearly hoping for a smooth confirmation.
