WASHINGTON — President Trump has announced his pick to replace Tulsi Gabbard as the next director of national intelligence: Manhattan US Attorney Jay Clayton.

“Few people anywhere in the Legal Community are respected at the level of Jay,” Trump said on Truth Social Thursday.

“I encourage the United States Senate to confirm Jay as soon as possible.”

Clayton, a former chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission during Trump’s first term, was nominated as lawmakers of both parties criticized the president for his appointment of federal housing regulator Bill Pulte to replace Gabbard on an acting basis.

Gabbard will depart the Office of Director of National Intelligence next Friday to be with her husband, who was recently diagnosed with bone cancer.

Congress has balked at Pulte’s appointment and the House of Representatives voted down the reauthorization of the federal government’s foreign spying powers in protest Thursday morning.

That authority, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, will expire at 11:59 p.m. Friday absent quick action by legislators.

Senate Democrats also voted after Trump’s announcement to block a short-term extension of the FISA authority as well, likely meaning the foreign spy power will lapse since the House will remain in recess until June 24.

“I have known and respected Jay Clayton for many years and believe he is a capable public servant,” said Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee.

“At the same time, the timing of this announcement raises an obvious question: if the president intended to nominate Mr. Clayton, why spend the last ten days insisting that the Intelligence Community be led by an acting director who lacks the extensive national security experience required by statute and whose appointment raises serious concerns about the politicization of intelligence?” Warner asked, referring to Pulte.

“The president could have put forward a qualified nominee from the beginning. Instead, he waited until the House of Representatives went out of town, choosing a path that raises the risk of an entirely avoidable lapse in a critical national security tool,” he added.

“That said, let me be clear — while I am glad to see the president finally come to his senses, before the Senate can take up a FISA extension there needs to be a clear guarantee that Mr. Pulte will not serve as acting DNI. Either Director Gabbard must remain in place or the administration must designate the Senate-confirmed Principal Deputy DNI as the acting head through any transition.”

Trump refused to budge and said later Thursday that Pulte as acting DNI head “will run it for a short while.”

“He’s done a fantastic job at Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac,” Trump said.

Some Republicans like Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) had also opposed Pulte’s acting role, though the North Carolina Republican issued a strong statement of support following Trump’s Thursday appointment of Clayton.

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“Jay Clayton is an OUTSTANDING choice by President Trump to serve as Director of National Intelligence,” Tillis posted on X.

“Jay is a proven leader with a distinguished record of public service and sound judgment needed to lead our intelligence community. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure his swift confirmation.”

Pulte, the Federal Housing Finance Agency director, brought forward criminal referrals for alleged mortgage fraud against the president’s political enemies to the Department of Justice.

Those targeted included New York Attorney General Letitia James, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and then-Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.).

Gabbard had also released investigative files alleging a “treasonous conspiracy” by Obama administration officials to accuse Trump of having the 2016 election handed to him through Russian interference.

New York’s Democratic senators had blocked Clayton’s confirmation in the Southern District of New York, but a panel of judges voted to allow him to remain in the position last August.

Since then, the US Attorney’s Office has handled the high-profile indictments of former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro for running a drug-trafficking empire and partnering with narco-terrorists.

Ex-Attorney General Pam Bondi had also asked him to investigate deceased sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to prominent Democrats.

The Senate had confirmed Clayton as SEC chair during Trump’s first term and he served from May 2017 to December 2020. Before that, he was a partner at Sullivan and Cromwell, a powerful Wall Street law firm.