Kathmandu— Bill Pulte will end his two-month stint as acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) on Monday, with Jay Clayton set to take over the role following Senate confirmation. In a social media post, Pulte confirmed the transition and expressed gratitude towards President Donald Trump for the opportunity to serve in this capacity.

Transition Details

Pulte announced on Saturday that he had spoken with President Trump and Clayton about the transition. The acting DNI praised his successor, stating, "I have no doubt that Jay will do a tremendous job." Pulte also offered full support to Clayton as he takes over the agency.

According to CNN sources, Pulte was initially expected to remain in office for at least two weeks after Clayton's swearing-in. However, Pulte personally pressed Trump to allow him to stay longer, arguing that his work had not yet been completed.

Challenges Facing the New Director

Clayton inherits an intelligence community facing significant challenges. The office has seen its authority and relevance decline to historic lows due to recent staffing reductions and controversial declassification efforts under Pulte's leadership.

Pulte, a housing executive with no prior national security experience, implemented sharp cuts across the intelligence community while also participating in the declassification of documents related to Trump's false claims of election fraud from 2020.

(With inputs from ANI)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.