Following widespread criticism about interim Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Bill Pulte taking over the reins, President Donald Trump has announced a new person to take the helm: Jay Clayton.
It presents a stark shift from what the president indicated just 10 days ago, when he announced via a Truth Social post that the 38-year-old Pulte—currently the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and chair of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac—would fill the vacancy left by the outgoing director, Tulsi Gabbard, who has publicly stated that her husband’s bone cancer diagnosis has impacted her abilities to properly oversee 18 intel agencies.
Clayton currently plays a major litigation role as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, a role he’s had since 2025 since taking over for the interim U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon after she resigned due to refusing to carry out Department of Justice (DOJ) orders corruption charges against former New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Clayton oversees arguably the most critical DOJ prosecution office in Manhattan, prosecuting cases across a broad spectrum that includes corruption, espionage, fraud and terrorism.
Previously, Clayton served from 2017 to 2020 as the chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. He has a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Cambridge, and a Juris Doctor from Penn’s law school. For two years in the 1990s, Clayton clerked for Marvin Katz of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and then worked for the New York City-based law firm Sullivan & Cromwell for more than 20 years.
In a Truth Social announcement on Thursday, Trump said that “few people anywhere in the Legal Community are respected at the level of Jay,” adding that he encourages the GOP-controlled U.S. Senate “to confirm Jay as soon as possible.”
Lawmakers seemed to hear Trump’s message, as the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on the same day announced a June 17 confirmation hearing to swiftly insert Clayton into the role. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters on Thursday that the chamber will “move quickly” once it received Clayton’s nomination paperwork from the White House, according to the Associated Press.
It presents a change from a week-and-a-half ago, when Trump praised Pulte for his “deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America, the safety and soundness of the Markets, and over 10 Trillion Dollars at Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, a substantial increase from where it was just 12 months ago.” Trump had stated in early June that Pulte would remain in his roles while leading DNI.
Axios reported Thursday that Pulte called Gabbard this past Tuesday, unannounced, and told her, “Today is your last day.” The outlet, citing two officials, said that Gabbard was surprised at the call and directive. “I need to hear it from the president or the White House,” Gabbard told him.
Democrats have vowed to let surveillance authorities lapse after both the House and Senate on Thursday rejected a three-week extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The authority is scheduled to expire at midnight Friday.
Lawmakers’ Reactions to Clayton Selection
The Clayton pick announced by Trump has drawn praise from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), who voted for Clayton to lead the SEC, called it an “excellent choice” due to his experience, judgment and resolve. Sen. Lindsey Graham, also from South Carolina, echoed the sentiment.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who is leaving Congress, called the Clayton selection “outstanding.”
“Jay is a proven leader with a distinguished record of public service and sound judgment needed to lead our intelligence community,” Tillis wrote on X.
Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said on X that he has “known and respected” Clayton for decades and that if Trump had named him the DNI nominee last week rather than Pulte, “lots of pain might have been avoided.”
“His intelligence, temperament and deep commitment to public service will make him a terrific DNI,” Himes said.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said the Clayton pick “does not resolve the president’s Pulte problem,” claiming that the interim DNI is already “weaponizing” the intelligence community.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said Clayton has “deep experience combatting a wide range of national security threats.”
The lawmaker himself has received scrutiny the past 24 hours due to the inclusion of an amendment after advancing an amendment, Section 622, within the Senate Intelligence Committee’s Intelligence Authorization Act for FY 2027 that would amend the National Security Act of 1947 and provide Israel with even more intelligence sharing.
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