President Donald Trump nominated former Securities and Exchange Commission chair Jay Clayton for the position of director of National Intelligence on Thursday. The president’s decision comes after his nomination of Bill Pulte, a top federal housing official, sparked bipartisan controversy.
Clayton currently serves as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. If confirmed, Clayton would replace DNI Tulsi Gabbard after she announced her resignation following her husband’s cancer diagnosis.
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Trump called Clayton “very Highly Respected” when he made his announcement.
“Few people anywhere in the Legal Community are respected at the level of Jay,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I encourage the United States Senate to confirm Jay as soon as possible.”
Controversy over Pulte’s pick
Shortly after Trump nominated Pulte to lead the DNI, which oversees the U.S. intelligence community, Democrats condemned the decision. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., called the selection “another indication of how unserious, reckless, and dangerous” the administration has been on national security matters.
“Bill Pulte is willing to say anything or do anything that Donald Trump demands, no matter how reckless, vengeful, or unlawful Donald Trump’s demand may be,” Jeffries said. “Bill Pulte has weaponized the federal government to go after Donald Trump’s perceived enemies.”
In the Senate, the criticism was bipartisan. In a post on X, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., labeled Pulte as “a partisan thug with no experience in intelligence” and argued the appointment would make the country less safe.
Senate Republicans also questioned Trump’s decision. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said that the country needs experienced intelligence professionals in the role.
“We don’t need a weaponized DNI, we need professionals there,” Thune said.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, also spoke out, saying nothing in Pulte’s resume would qualify him for the position. Cornyn recently lost his primary election to Trump-endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Will the Senate confirm Clayton?
According to CNBC, Thune told reporters that Clayton has a “great reputation” and Senate Republican leadership will work to get him confirmed, “as quickly as possible.”
When asked if there was a realistic chance to get him confirmed before Pulte becomes acting DNI, Thune replied, “I don’t know what realistic is, but we’re going to probe the limits of it.“
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., similarly said that he has “great respect for Jay Clayton.” But he questioned why Trump had taken so long to nominate Clayton.
“Why he waited until after the House broke, I have no idea,” Warner said, according to CNBC. “If there was any level of serious concern about this in the White House, the House has already left town.”
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