President Donald Trump announced Jay Clayton as his nominee for Director of National Intelligence on Thursday, but stated he intends to keep Bill Pulte, the current Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as acting DNI "for a little while." This decision comes despite intense pressure from Congress, particularly Democrats, who are refusing to renew a crucial surveillance law, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), unless Pulte is removed from the DNI role. The current FISA authorization is set to expire at midnight on Friday.
Clayton, currently the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and a former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, is seen by many lawmakers as a qualified candidate. Both Republican Senator John Thune and Democratic Senator Mark Warner have expressed approval of his nomination. However, Trump's intention to maintain Pulte as acting director until June 19, or for a longer undisclosed "little while," creates uncertainty regarding the swift confirmation process needed to appease Democrats and secure the FISA renewal.
This marks a second attempt by the Trump administration to move Clayton into a significant role, following an aborted effort in June 2020 to install him as U.S. Attorney in Manhattan. At that time, the administration backed down, allowing Deputy U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss to take the position after assurances that ongoing investigations into Trump allies would not be disrupted. The Senate Intelligence Committee has scheduled a confirmation hearing for Clayton on Wednesday, June 17, at 2 p.m. ET, but it is unclear if confirmation can occur before Pulte's scheduled June 19 start date or the FISA expiration.
