Trump announces plan to nominate U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton as DNI

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that he intends to nominate Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and former SEC chairman, as director of national intelligence. The announcement came as Congress presses the White House to name a permanent replacement for Tulsi Gabbard, who resigned last month, and after criticism of the temporary appointment of Bill Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as acting director.

Trump posted on social media that Clayton is widely respected in the legal community and urged the Senate to confirm him quickly. He later said in the Oval Office that Pulte would remain in the acting role for a short period while the administration prepares the nomination.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the Senate could move "fairly quickly" to confirm Clayton if the White House submits the paperwork promptly, praising Clayton’s reputation. Democratic leaders, including House Intelligence Committee member Jim Himes and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, have linked the renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to the removal of Pulte, stating that Pulte cannot remain in the DNI role.

Clayton, who took office as Manhattan U.S. attorney in April 2025, oversees a portfolio that includes terrorism, espionage, public corruption and high-profile cases such as the prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein, former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and recent terrorism plots targeting U.S. sites. His experience in coordinating complex investigations is cited as relevant to the intelligence community’s oversight of 18 agencies.

The nomination arrives amid a standoff in Congress, with Democrats threatening to block the extension of key surveillance authorities unless the administration withdraws Pulte’s temporary appointment. It remains unclear whether the Senate can confirm Clayton before the June 19 date previously indicated for Pulte’s transition.