President Donald Trump has put forth the nomination of Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, as the next director of national intelligence (DNI).
The nomination was made public on Trump’s Truth Social platform on Thursday, where he urged the U.S. Senate to confirm Clayton at the earliest. The White House officially transmitted Clayton’s nomination to the Senate shortly after 5 p.m.
“Few people anywhere in the Legal Community are respected at the level of Jay,” wrote Trump.
Clayton served as the Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) during Trump's first term.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe recommended Clayton for the role, according to CNN. A veteran corporate attorney with strong standing in Republican circles, Clayton has largely concentrated on prosecuting violent crime and drug offenses during his tenure as U.S. attorney.
