Senate confirms Jay Clayton as DNI, ending dual leadership role for FHFA’s Bill Pulte

The Senate confirmed U.S. District Attorney Jay Clayton on Tuesday to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), formally ending Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte’s brief stint as acting intelligence chief. The 51-47 vote along party lines makes Clayton the director of national intelligence in President Donald Trump’s second term. Clayton, a longtime ally of the president, lost Democratic support during his confirmation hearing after he refused to affirm that Joe Biden won the 2020 election, The New York Times reported. Clayton takes over as DNI chief from Pulte, who has been serving in the role since early June while simultaneously overseeing the FHFA — the regulator and conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Pulte has reportedly used the role to rapidly shrink the intelligence office, publicly claiming on X this week that he executed a “5th and Near Final Round of TERMINATIONS” that totaled a 30% staff reduction during his short tenure, according to the Times. Current and former officials told the Times that it’s unclear how many of these cuts have actually occurred. Still, Pulte’s aggressive downsizing and online persona have alar...