Intelligence Director Nominee
President Trump nominates Jay Clayton as intelligence director, sparking Congressional standoff
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President Trump announced Thursday he plans to nominate Jay Clayton — the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and former SEC chairman — as the next Director of National Intelligence, according to SF Chronicle. The move comes hours after the House voted 198–218 to block a short-term renewal of FISA Section 702, the law that gives spy agencies power to surveil foreign targets without a warrant.
Nineteen Republicans joined nearly all Democrats to kill the extension, many pointing directly at Trump's earlier pick of Bill Pulte — a mortgage industry figure with no intelligence background — as acting DNI, Miami Herald reported. Clayton's nomination is a direct attempt to break that standoff before a midnight deadline.
How the Pulte Appointment Triggered a FISA Crisis
When Tulsi Gabbard resigned as DNI on May 22 to care for her husband, who was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer, Trump named Bill Pulte as her acting replacement on June 2, according to Yahoo News. Pulte runs the Federal Housing Finance Agency. He has no national security experience. The backlash was swift and bipartisan.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Pulte's appointment was "in defiance of the law," which requires the DNI to have extensive national security experience. Speaker Mike Johnson called the failed FISA vote "shameful and very, very dangerous." FISA Section 702 — a post-9/11 authority used to stop terrorist plots — was set to expire at midnight, per The Guardian.
Who Is Jay Clayton and Why Did Trump Pick Him
Clayton became U.S. attorney for the SDNY — the largest and most prestigious federal prosecution office in the country — in April 2025. Before that, he chaired the SEC from 2017 to 2020, overseeing more than 2,300 enforcement actions and collecting over $10 billion in fines and penalties, according to the Department of Justice.
His national security work at the SDNY includes the prosecution of former Taliban commander Haji Najibullah, who received a 42-year sentence for terrorism. Clayton's office also indicted an Iraqi national for supporting Iranian-backed terror groups and investigated a New York IED plot. Trump called him "one of the most highly respected" figures in law, per ABC27.
What Happens to Spy Powers If Congress Stays Deadlocked
A lapse in FISA Section 702 does not immediately go dark. Analysts at the Cato Institute note that existing FISA Court certifications — valid through March 2027 — allow surveillance to continue even if the statute expires. But communication companies could face legal challenges, and may refuse to comply without an active law backing directives, risking fines of $250,000 per day.
The stakes are high in the near term. Intelligence officials warn a prolonged gap could complicate security planning for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the U.S., and the country's 250th anniversary celebrations, according to KGET. The DNI oversees coordination across 18 separate intelligence agencies.
Clayton Nomination Signals Possible Congressional Thaw
Republican leaders quickly pivoted after Clayton's nomination was announced, urging fast confirmation to restore FISA authority. Clayton is seen as a stabilizing pick compared to Pulte — a manager with both Wall Street and courtroom experience rather than a political loyalist, per Tri-City Herald.
But Democratic Senator Mark Warner has long pushed for a DNI who delivers "independent judgments" rather than political ones. Whether Clayton satisfies that bar remains unclear. If Democrats continue to block FISA renewal, both parties will face a battle over who bears blame for any perceived gap in national security ahead of two of the largest public events in U.S. history.
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