Senators largely spoke highly of Trump’s pick to become the next director of National Intelligence (DNI) Thursday, but some criticized President Donald Trump for not nominating him sooner.
Trump nominated the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton hours after the House failed to pass a temporary extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which many Democrats opposed due to the temporary nomination of Director of U.S. Federal Housing Bill Pulte to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). Senate Majority Leader John Thune told the Daily Caller News Foundation that Clayton had a “great record” and urged his Democratic colleagues to support his upcoming confirmation.
“I think he’s a really good pick. He’s obviously very capable and competent and [has] a great record. So, my assumption is, and I would certainly hope that Democrats who are being objective about it are going to come to the same conclusion,” Thune said about Clayton.
Thune’s response when I asked if he thinks Jay Clayton is a good DNI pick:
“I think he’s a really good pick. He’s obviously very capable and competent and [has] a great record. So, my assumption is, and I would certainly hope that Democrats who are being objective about it…
— Nicole Silverio (@NicoleMSilverio) June 11, 2026
Thune also told reporters that he would have preferred that Trump made the nomination earlier so the chamber could have reached a bipartisan deal on extending Section 702.
“It would have, as always, the timing would have been better. It would have been nice if we could had this a couple of days earlier, but like I said, you play the hand you’re dealt and we’ll try and figure out the best way to process this quickly,” Thune said.
Some lawmakers opposed Pulte’s nomination due to his lack of national security experience and concerns that he would use the position to target his political opponents, jeopardizing further action from lawmakers on key pieces of legislation.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters that Pulte “has got to go,” but he did not give an opinion on Clayton.
“Pulte has got to go,” Schumer said. “The DNI role is too important for him to be there. He has got to go, period. No matter what else they do.”
When the DCNF asked if he supported Clayton, Schumer said, “I support getting rid of Pulte. That is unequivocal.”
“Pulte has got to go,” he told us. “The DNI role is too important for him to be there. He has got to go. Period. No matter what else they do.” @DailyCaller
— Nicole Silverio (@NicoleMSilverio) June 11, 2026
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso told reporters during a press gaggle attended by the DCNF that he was “encouraged” by Trump nominating somebody for the position permanently.
“I’m encouraged by the President’s decision to name someone permanently for that role,” Barrasso said.
“I’m encouraged by the President’s decision to name someone permanently for that role.”@DailyCaller
— Nicole Silverio (@NicoleMSilverio) June 11, 2026
Democratic California Sen. Alex Padilla told the DCNF that he was “deeply concerned” about the nomination.
Clayton has overseen some of the most high-profile criminal prosecutions in the U.S., among them being the drug trafficking case against former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, who was captured by U.S. forces in January. He is also the former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. In November, then-Attorney General Pam Bondi said Clayton would investigate sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to prominent Democrats.
Not much information is known about Clayton’s positions on foreign policy or FISA-related issues at this time.
Democratic Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Clayton will “terrific” for the role if confirmed. However, he criticized Trump’s timing, saying “lots of pain might have been avoided” by nominating him before Section 702 was set to expire.
“I’ve known and respected Jay Clayton for decades. His intelligence, temperament and deep commitment to public service will make him a terrific DNI. Had this nomination been made a week ago, lots of pain might have been avoided,” Himes said.
I’ve known and respected Jay Clayton for decades. His intelligence, temperament and deep commitment to public service will make him a terrific DNI. Had this nomination been made a week ago, lots of pain might have been avoided.
— Jim Himes
(@jahimes) Democratic Virginia Sen. Mark Warner said Clayton is “very qualified,” but also criticized Trump’s timing.
“He’s very qualified. I have no idea why the president didn’t nominate him yesterday, we could have found a path and Director Gabbard could have stayed on until he was confirmed. Now the House is out of session,” Warner told Semafor.
Republican Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford praised Clayton’s record as a prosecutor in an X statement and made a commitment to voting in favor of his confirmation.
“Jay Clayton is a great pick for the Director of National Intelligence,” Lankford said. “The US Attorney’s Office in the southern district of New York has prosecuted terrorists, international cartels, money laundering, international trafficking and more. He has handled some of the toughest international cases, and he knows well the threats our nation faces each day. His background as the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission has also given him the executive experience needed to lead an agency in desperate need of reorganization.”
Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham called Clayton “an outstanding choice” for DNI in a statement on X.
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