Jay Clayton to take over as US intelligence chief on Monday

Published 02 Aug, 2026 03:05pm 1 min read
Jay Clayton, US President Donald Trump's nominee to be Director of National Intelligence, testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. -- Reuters file
Jay Clayton, US President Donald Trump's nominee to be Director of National Intelligence, testifies during a Senate Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. -- Reuters file

Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill ​Pulte posted on Saturday that the transition ‌for Jay Clayton to take over the job will take place on Monday.

US Senate Republicans confirmed Clayton’s nomination this ​week to be the nation’s top spy despite ​opposition from Democrats following an angry confirmation ⁠hearing.

Pulte wrote in a social media post on ​Saturday that “the DNI transition will take place this ​coming Monday.”

Clayton, who has been the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, will oversee 18 US intelligence ​agencies.

He steps into a role that was ​vacated in June when Tulsi Gabbard stepped down after a tenure ‌marked by clashes with congressional Democrats, who accused her of advancing US President Donald Trump’s political agenda and promoting debunked election claims.

Democrats during Clayton’s confirmation hearings criticised ​him for ​repeatedly refusing ⁠, during his testimony, to directly acknowledge that Trump lost the 2020 presidential election to ​Democrat Joe Biden.

Pulte, who is also Trump’s ​Federal Housing ⁠Finance Agency director, ordered layoffs of intelligence staff after he assumed the interim intelligence position in ⁠June.

His ​appointment drew criticism from the Democrats ​for his lack of national security expertise.

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