Trump nominates Jay Clayton as U.S. Director of National Intelligence

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he will nominate Jay Clayton, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, to serve as the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). Clayton would replace Tulsi Gabbard, who stepped down after her husband’s cancer diagnosis. The nomination follows criticism of Trump’s earlier appointment of Bill Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as acting DNI – a choice that sparked bipartisan opposition and stalled the renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Section 702. Many Senate Republicans, including Majority Leader John Thune, expressed optimism that Clayton’s “great reputation” could speed confirmation, while Democrats such as Chuck Schumer and Mark Warner demanded Pulte’s removal before supporting any FISA extension. Lawmakers noted Clayton’s extensive experience in financial law and high‑profile prosecutions but questioned his lack of national‑security background. The timing of the nomination, arriving after the House left town and after the FISA vote failed, has been highlighted as a missed opportunity to avoid a lapse in critical surveillance authority.