President Donald Trump has nominated 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 director of national intelligence, seeking to stabilize an intelligence leadership dispute that has drawn criticism from both parties in Congress.
Trump announced the nomination Thursday through a post on Truth Social, describing Clayton as highly respected within the legal community and urging the Senate to confirm him quickly.
The nomination follows weeks of controversy surrounding Trump's decision to appoint Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence after the planned departure of Tulsi Gabbard, which triggered opposition from Democrats and some Republicans, who questioned his lack of intelligence or national security experience.
The dispute became entangled with efforts to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a key surveillance authority that allows intelligence agencies to collect communications involving foreign targets overseas. Democrats warned they would not support an extension while Pulte remained in the role, while several Republicans also called for a permanent nominee.
Although Trump moved to nominate Clayton, he indicated that Pulte would still briefly serve as acting director, as CNN reports. Democratic leaders, however, argued the nomination came too late to influence the surveillance debate, noting that the House had already adjourned without passing a short-term extension of Section 702 authorities.
Clayton, a longtime corporate attorney who led the SEC during Trump's first term, has served as Manhattan's top federal prosecutor since 2025. His office has focused on violent crime, drug trafficking and financial crime investigations. Among its highest-profile cases was the indictment of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on narcoterrorism-related charges, as The Hill details.
Lawmakers from both parties appeared more receptive to Clayton than to Pulte. Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner said he has "great respect" for Clayton, while Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he wanted the Senate to consider the nomination as quickly as possible.
The nomination comes during a period of turnover within the intelligence community. If confirmed, Clayton would replace Gabbard and take charge of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees 18 intelligence agencies and was created after the September 11 attacks to improve coordination and information sharing across the U.S. intelligence system.
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