Trump Expected to Name Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton as AI Czar

President Donald Trump is expected to name Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton as his new AI czar, according to multiple outlets reporting on October 2, 2026, citing people familiar with the matter. The president may reveal Clayton's appointment as soon as Friday, October 3, one person told Bloomberg. CBS News reported Trump administration sources said Clayton is expected to remain in his current DNI role while also serving as AI czar, a dual-hat arrangement similar to other cabinet officials in Trump's second term. Clayton has overseen 18 US intelligence agencies as the nation's top spy since his Senate confirmation in July 2026. He previously served as US attorney for the Southern District of New York from April 2025 through July 2026, and led the Securities and Exchange Commission during most of Trump's first term from May 2017 to December 2020.

Trump announced plans to name a new AI czar last month after a White House meeting with nearly two dozen Silicon Valley executives including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to discuss safety concerns. Following that meeting Trump dismissed the idea of new AI rules and reiterated his view that the industry should police itself. Clayton replaces venture capitalist David Sacks, who held the combined AI and cryptocurrency czar role at the beginning of Trump's second term before stepping down in March 2026.

The appointment places the intelligence community's top official in charge of AI policy across the administration. It remains unclear how Clayton will shape oversight while Trump has stated opposition to new regulation.

Sources

Bloomberg (Mark Bergen, Jennifer Jacobs), October 2, 2026, bloomberg.com CBS News, October 1, 2026, cbsnews.com Reuters (Alexandra Alper), October 2, 2026, via US News & World Report, usnews.com Political Wire (Taegan Goddard), October 1, 2026, politicalwire.com ABC News, July 28, 2026 (Senate confirmation as DNI), abcnews.com Practising Law Institute faculty bio (SDNY appointment timeline), accessed October 3, 2026, pli.edu