Trump’s housing regulator Bill Pulte says he’ll hand over intel reins to Jay Clayton on Monday

On Monday, Bill Pulte's two-month tenure as acting director of national intelligence will conclude as he officially transfers his position to Jay Clayton, President Donald Trump's chosen candidate for the role. Pulte announced the handover via social media, revealing discussions with Trump and Clayton himself. Trump selected Pulte as an interim director upon the resignation of Tulsi Gabbard, but the choice was met with criticism from Republican lawmakers who argued that Pulte lacked the necessary national security credentials for the role.

Clayton, who previously served as the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and as a former SEC chairman, received confirmation by the Senate with a party-line vote on Tuesday. During Pulte's brief term, Trump used his platform to propagate false claims about the 2020 election and release classified documents that he believed supported his arguments.

Upon Clayton's appointment, he pledged to utilize his government and national security expertise to address concerns expressed by senators from both parties. However, his nomination faced opposition after a contentious hearing, during which he declined to confirm that Joe Biden had won the 2020 election. Prior to the Senate vote on Clayton, Pulte released intelligence community documents from 2020 which illustrated China's potential to interfere in American politics and highlighted vulnerabilities within the election system.

The disclosure of this sensitive material is part of the broader effort by the Trump administration to raise concerns about the integrity of U.S. elections. As of now, the White House has not disclosed the particulars regarding when Clayton will be sworn in for his new position.