OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
2:26 PM – Thursday, June 11, 2026
President Donald Trump has announced his pick for the next permanent Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to replace Tulsi Gabbard after she leaves her post in late June: U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton.
On Thursday, Trump said on his Truth Social platform, “I am pleased to announce the Nomination of very Highly Respected Jay Clayton, former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the former Head of Sullivan & Cromwell, one of the most prominent and successful Law Firms anywhere in the World, and the current United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, to be the next Director of National Intelligence and, importantly, to serve in my Cabinet.”
“Few people anywhere in the Legal Community are respected at the level of Jay,” he continued. “I encourage the United States Senate to confirm Jay as soon as possible.”
The DNI oversees both the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA).
Clayton, 59, clerked for Judge Marvin Katz of the District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in the 1990s. He later became a partner of Sullivan & Cromwell, representing and advising prominent investment firms.
On January 4, 2017, Trump announced his intention to nominate Clayton to chair the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The president formally nominated Clayton on the day of his inauguration, and he was confirmed in May 2017 after a 61-37 vote. He served on the commission until his resignation in December 2020.
In 2021, Clayton was then appointed to be the lead independent director on Apollo Global Management’s board — a newly created role. He also rejoined Sullivan & Cromwell before Trump again selected him in 2024 to be a U.S. attorney, where he currently serves.
Trump’s new pick comes after his recent appointment of Director of U.S. Federal Housing, Bill Pulte, caused a stir among Democrat and some Libertarian-leaning GOP lawmakers. After the announcement, Congress went into a total gridlock over it since critics argued that Pulte lacks national security experience. Democrats are now blocking the renewal of the FISA Section 702 spy program in protest. Trump nominated Clayton specifically to calm this storm and supplant Pulte.
FISA Section 702, a national security law enacted in 2008, permits federal intelligence agencies to conduct warrantless surveillance on communications passing through U.S. digital infrastructure. However, the law strictly targets non-U.S. persons located outside the United States.
Gabbard resigned from her role as DNI in May to spend more time with her husband and family as he battles a rare form of bone cancer.
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