Trump Cancels DNI Nominee Jay Clayton Hearing, Installs Bill Pulte as Acting Director

President Donald Trump withdrew the Senate‑scheduled confirmation hearing for his nominee Jay Clayton as director of the National Intelligence Agency, effectively preventing Clayton’s appointment. The move clears the way for Bill Pulte, currently the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to assume the role of acting director of national intelligence. Pulte has no intelligence‑community background, but Trump has indicated he will use the position to pursue investigations into alleged election fraud. The decision also threatens the pending reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which was delayed after concerns about Pulte’s suitability.

The withdrawal adds to ongoing scrutiny of Trump’s handling of key security appointments and his demand that lawmakers bundle the FISA renewal with a voter‑ID measure that the Senate has already rejected.