Trump Nominates Jay Clayton as Director of National Intelligence

President Donald Trump has announced the nomination of Jay Clayton, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, as the next permanent Director of National Intelligence (DNI). He is taking over from Tulsi Gabbard, who will be retiring at the end of June.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated, “I am pleased to announce that the highly respected Jay Clayton, former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, former head of Sullivan & Cromwell, and currently Attorney for the Southern District of New York, has been nominated to be the next Director of National Intelligence and, importantly, to my Cabinet.” He added, “There are few people anywhere in the legal profession who are more respected than Jay. I encourage the United States Senate to confirm Jay as soon as possible.”

The Director of National Intelligence oversees key agencies like the CIA and NSA.

Clayton, who is currently 59, started his career clerking for Judge Marvin Katz in the 1990s. He later joined Sullivan & Cromwell, where he worked with a well-known investment firm. In January 2017, Trump announced his intention to nominate Clayton as head of the SEC, making it official on Inauguration Day. Clayton was confirmed by the Senate in May 2017 and served until he resigned in December 2020.

In 2021, he took on the role of Lead Independent Director of the Apollo Global Management Board and returned to Sullivan & Cromwell before being reappointed as U.S. attorney by Trump in 2024.

This nomination follows a recent controversy over Trump’s earlier appointment of Bill Pruitt as federal housing secretary, which led to disagreements among Democrats and some Republicans. Critics had pointed out Pruitt’s lack of national security experience, which resulted in Congress becoming deadlocked. Meanwhile, the Democrats have been blocking the renewal of the FISA Section 702 spy program as a form of protest. Trump’s choice of Clayton seems aimed at navigating through this contentious landscape.

FISA Section 702, established in 2008, permits federal intelligence agencies to carry out warrantless surveillance on communications that pass through U.S. digital infrastructure, primarily targeting non-U.S. persons outside the country.

Gabbard stepped down from her DNI role in May to focus on her family while dealing with a rare bone cancer diagnosis.