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 Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, as director of national intelligence. The nomination was made via social media as Congress pushed for a permanent replacement for Tulsi Gabbard, who resigned last month.
Background of the Nomination
Trump faced significant backlash over his decision to appoint Bill Pulte, head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as acting director. The role oversees the coordination of 18 intelligence agencies. The controversy led to a standoff in Congress, with Democrats threatening to block the renewal of foreign intelligence powers unless Trump withdrew Pulte's nomination and named a permanent candidate.
"Few people anywhere in the Legal Community are respected at the level of Jay," Trump wrote on social media. "I encourage the United States Senate to confirm Jay as soon as possible."
Trump's Comments on Pulte and Clayton
Speaking later in the Oval Office, Trump indicated he still plans to keep Pulte in the role "for a little while," despite earlier stating he wanted Pulte to downsize the office. He praised Clayton as an "incredible talent" and said, "Nobody has better credentials." As U.S. attorney in Manhattan, Clayton oversees the Justice Department's most prestigious prosecution office, handling cases ranging from terrorism and espionage to securities fraud and public corruption.
Clayton took over from interim U.S. Attorney Danielle Sassoon, who resigned in February after refusing to follow Justice Department orders to drop corruption charges against Mayor Eric Adams. The case was eventually dropped after prosecutors from Washington filed a request with a judge.
Senate Plans for Swift Confirmation
The Senate Intelligence Committee plans to hold a confirmation hearing for Clayton on Wednesday, according to a source who requested anonymity. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters the Senate hopes to receive Clayton's nomination paperwork from the White House as soon as Thursday. "We will move quickly," he said.
Democrats are blocking the renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, set to expire at midnight Friday, in protest of Trump's temporary appointment of Pulte. They have vowed not to support an extension until Trump withdraws Pulte's nomination. Trump previously stated Pulte would take over on June 19, and it remains uncertain if the Senate can confirm Clayton before that date. "I don't know what realistic is, but we're gonna probe the limits of it," Thune said.
Reactions from Lawmakers
Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said he has "known and respected" Clayton for decades and that if Trump had named him as DNI nominee last week, "lots of pain might have been avoided." Himes added, "His intelligence, temperament and deep commitment to public service will make him a terrific DNI." Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, however, insisted, "Pulte has to go. He cannot be in the DNI role. It's too important."
Clayton's Tenure at SDNY
Clayton navigated a 14-month tenure in the Southern District of New York without clashing with federal judges, unlike his counterparts in upstate New York and New Jersey. After his interim term expired, the district's judges appointed him as U.S. attorney. He was sworn in April 2025 on the same day three prosecutors resigned, citing pressure to admit wrongdoing in the Adams case.
Weeks later, the office faced controversy over the firing of prosecutor Maurene Comey, who claims she was dismissed due to Trump's dislike of her father, former FBI Director James Comey. Under Clayton, the office facilitated the unsealing of thousands of pages of court records from the prosecutions of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, part of the Justice Department's release of records related to the late sex offender. Clayton filed documents explaining the government's process for releasing the materials.
Clayton also oversaw the prosecution of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on drug trafficking charges.
National Security Cases
Several recent terrorism cases under Clayton's office highlight the global threats he would navigate as DNI. In May, Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, an Iraqi and Iranian citizen, was arrested for allegedly plotting 20 attacks in Europe and Canada, including plans to attack a Manhattan synagogue and Jewish centers in Los Angeles and Scottsdale, Arizona, in retaliation for the U.S. war on Iran. "There are foreign nations and terrorist organizations that see our success as a threat. A threat that they want eliminated," Clayton said at a press briefing. "That is a stark truth. And don't take my word for it. Take their words and their actions. When your enemies tell you something, and when they act, you should know that they mean it."
During the first Trump administration, an attempt to install Clayton as U.S. attorney in Manhattan in June 2020 was reversed after then-U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman stepped down, following assurances that probes into Trump allies would not be disrupted and that Deputy U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss could lead the office. At the time, the office was investigating dealings by Rudy Giuliani and a state-owned Turkish bank.
