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President Donald Trump<\/a> said Thursday that he will nominate Jay Clayton<\/a> as director of national intelligence<\/a>, hours after objections by House Democrats to incoming acting DNI Bill Pulte<\/a> ensured that a key national security tool will expire this week.<\/p>\n Clayton is currently the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and is the former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission<\/a>. He will have to be confirmed as DNI<\/a> by the Senate.<\/p>\n Trump’s surprise announcement comes after more than a week of controversy over his appointment of Pulte, who is a top federal housing official, to replace current DNI Tulsi Gabbard<\/a> in an acting role when she leaves that post. <\/p>\n Trump said Wednesday that Pulte, who since last year has served as an attack dog against several Trump foes, would assume that role on June 19 as he looked for a permanent DNI. <\/p>\n Trump also has said that Pulte, at the same time, would retain his responsibilities leading the Federal Housing Finance Agency<\/a> and serving as chairman of the mortgage groups Fannie Mae<\/a> and Freddie Mac<\/a>.<\/p>\n Jay Clayton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, speaks during a press conference in New York City, U.S., December 10, 2025.<\/p>\n Jeenah Moon | Reuters<\/p>\n The DNI oversees the broad U.S. intelligence community, which includes the Central Intelligence Agency<\/a> and the National Security Agency. <\/p>\n Hours before Trump’s announcement, the House of Representatives rejected a proposal to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act<\/a> past Friday because Democrats refused to back the measure due to Trump’s choice of Pulte. <\/p>\n House members left Washington, D.C., after the 198-218 vote against the extension, and are not due back at the Capitol until June 23.<\/p>\n Read more CNBC politics coverage<\/p>\n Trump called Clayton “very Highly respected” in a Truth Social post announcing the nomination.<\/p>\n “Few people anywhere in the Legal Community are respected at the level of Jay,” Trump wrote.<\/p>\n “I encourage the United States Senate to confirm Jay as soon as possible.”<\/p>\n Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters that Clayton has a “great reputation” and that the Republican Senate leadership will try to get him confirmed, “as quickly as possible.” <\/p>\n Asked if there was a realistic chance for Clayton to be confirmed before Pulte becomes acting DNI next week, Thune said,”I don’t know what realistic is, but we’re going to probe the limits of it.”<\/p>\n Thune said he had not been informed by the White House that Clayton would be nominated before Trump made his announcement.<\/p>\n Sen. Mark Warner, a Virginia Democrat who is the vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said he has “great respect for Jay Clayton.”<\/p>\n But Warner questioned why Trump had delayed naming Clayton, given the fact that the extension of Section 702 of FISA was known to be in peril because of Pulte’s appointment.<\/p>\n “Why he waited until after the House broke, I have no idea,” Warner said.<\/p>\n “If there was any level of serious concern about this in the White House, the House has already left town,” Warner said.<\/p>\n “Bill Pulte is a national security threat,” he said.<\/p>\n Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., echoed Warner, calling the selection of Clayton “seemingly a positive step.”<\/p>\n “But the President’s timing couldn’t be worse,” Blumenthal said. “Literally waiting until now, when everyone has left town, and there’s no possibility of a path forward on FISA until next week.”<\/p>\n “Why Clayton couldn’t have been nominated in the first place is a complete unknown,” Blumenthal said.<\/p>\n Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., did not directly comment on Clayton’s appointment, but told reporters that it was crucial that Pulte not serve as DNI.<\/p>\n “The DNI role is too important,” Schumer said. “He cannot be there, no ands, ifs, or buts.”<\/p>\n “Doesn’t matter what else they do. Pulte’s got to be gone. He’s still in that role,” Schumer said.<\/p>\n Trump on Wednesday said he had asked Pulte “to execute the immediate and needed downsizing of the office<\/a>, reverting staff to their home agencies.”<\/p>\n When Trump began his second term in January 2025, the DNI’s office had about 1,800 employees, according to Federal News Network<\/a>.<\/p>\n Gabbard later cut nearly 30% of the office’s staff, the DNI’s office said in an August 2025 fact sheet<\/a>, which detailed her plans to make further cuts.<\/p>\n \u2014 MS NOW, and CNBC’s Emily Wilkins<\/a> and Karen Sloan contributed to this article.<\/p>\n