Jay Clayton appointed director of national intelligence, continuing Trump’s pattern of corporate cronyism
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Jay Clayton, with deep Wall Street ties, will become director of national intelligence on Monday, ending Bill Pulte’s short and controversial tenure.
Washington — In a move emblematic of the Trump administration’s revolving door between corporate interests and government, Jay Clayton, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and ex-SEC chairman notorious for his Wall Street connections, is set to take over as director of national intelligence on Monday. This concludes Bill Pulte’s two-month stint as acting director, a period marked by questionable decisions and a lack of transparency. Pulte, who announced the transition on social media, said he had discussed the handover with President Donald Trump and Clayton, who was confirmed by the Senate along party lines—further exposing the hyper-partisan nature of Trump’s appointments. President Trump’s decision to appoint Pulte, a figure with little relevant experience, after Tulsi Gabbard’s resignation, was met with criticism even from within the Republican Party, as lawmakers questioned his lack of national-security credentials. During Pulte’s brief and tumultuous period, the administration released classified documents related to the 2020 election and China’s so-called influence operations, a move widely seen as an attempt to stoke fear and undermine confidence in the electoral process under the guise of ‘election integrity.’ The White House, as usual, has withheld details on the timing of Clayton’s swearing-in, continuing its pattern of opacity.