“Jay Clayton has been a loyal ally and golf buddy of President Trump. Now he is a pawn in a larger chess game between the president and Congress,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
“Clayton has for the past 14 months led the U.S. attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York, where he has pulled off the delicate feat of remaining in the president’s good graces while exercising some level of independence.”
“Clayton was set to take the first step last week toward a cabinet-level post, but the president delayed his nomination to be director of national intelligence to force Congress to act on Trump-endorsed election legislation that currently lacks enough support to pass.”
New York Times: Trump’s intelligence pick renews debate: is the director of national intelligence needed.
