President Trump just made a move at the top of the intelligence world that is hard for the usual critics to attack. On June 16, 2026, the White House announced that the president nominated Jay Clayton to serve as Director of National Intelligence. Clayton is no cable-news pundit or think-tank lifer. He is a former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and a former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission. In other words, the president is putting a working prosecutor into the slot that sits on top of America’s spy agencies. Good meeting with Jay Clayton this evening, who has been nominated by the President to serve as the next Director of National Intelligence (DNI). I first met Jay in my role on the Banking committee when he was going through his confirmation to serve as SEC chairman. I believe… pic.twitter.com/QDYQDiJaOl — Senator Mike Rounds (@SenatorRounds) June 15, 2026 The most interesting part of this nomination is who is praising it. The White House said the Clayton pick is drawing broad acclaim, and it backed that up with names. The June 16 release framed the nomination around Clayton’s prosecutorial work, financial-regulatory background, and record inside high-pressure federal institutions. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Republicans have moved fast on the president’s nominees and will do the same for Clayton. That matters because the Director of National Intelligence job sits at the center of the intelligence community, not in some ceremonial corner of government. Sen. Tom Cotton, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, called Clayton an excellent choice and said the committee will quickly process the nomination. Cotton also pointed to Clayton’s experience combating national security threats in New York. Then the names stop being predictable. The White House release also highlighted praise from lawmakers who are harder for the usual anti-Trump chorus to dismiss out of hand. Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat, said he has known and respected Clayton for many years and views him as a capable public servant. Rep. Jim Himes, another Democrat, said he has known Clayton for decades and that the Senate should evaluate and confirm him quickly. That kind of cross-aisle reaction makes the smear campaign harder to launch. It is tough to paint a man as a danger to the republic when senior Democrats are vouching for his character on the record. Cotton’s point about Clayton’s national-security experience has real backing. As the top federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, Clayton sat over one of the busiest law-enforcement perches in the country. The Justice Department describes Clayton as a man with extensive experience across the public and private sectors. The same bio notes that he served as SEC chairman from May 2017 to December 2020. During his run at the SEC, the agency prioritized retail investors and expanding access to investment opportunities. That is the record of someone who knows how to chase fraud, follow money, and run a complex enforcement operation. The DOJ bio also gives the nomination a broader frame. Clayton is being sold as someone who has worked at the intersection of markets, law enforcement, national security, and institutional management. The president has trusted Clayton before. That earlier Senate-vetted service is part of why this nomination is harder to dismiss as reckless. SEC’s public historical record says Clayton was nominated by President Trump on Jan. 20, 2017, and sworn in as SEC chairman that May. This is a familiar Trump personnel move: elevate someone who has already survived Senate scrutiny once, then put him into a job that touches every threat aimed at the homeland. Strong Intelligence Community leadership is essential to protecting the Homeland and ensuring that the intelligence community is working for the American people. I believe @potus made a great choice in nominating Jay Clayton to serve as Director of National Intelligence.… — Shelley Moore Capito (@SenCapito) June 15, 2026 Put it all together and you see a confident personnel play. President Trump is moving a seasoned prosecutor and former regulator into the intelligence chair, the Senate Republicans are signaling speed, and even a couple of Democrats are saying the quiet part out loud. The fight over Clayton will still happen, because everything in Washington becomes a fight. But the president picked a nominee whose résumé does the arguing for him. What are your thoughts? TAP HERE TO ADD YOUR VOTE The post President Trump’s DNI Pick Draws Praise Democrats Can’t Easily Dismiss appeared first on 100PercentFedUp.com.