President Donald Trump is considering Jay Clayton, the current Director of National Intelligence, for the position of White House AI czar. Clayton, who oversees 18 intelligence agencies, is expected to retain his current role while integrating AI policy into his responsibilities. Trump has publicly expressed support for this potential appointment.
The role of AI czar has remained vacant since March, following the departure of David Sacks. While reports suggest an appointment could be made within days, the administration has not released a formal timeline. Clayton previously stated during his July confirmation hearing that AI requires a balanced approach to manage both its risks and opportunities.
Clayton's potential appointment has caused concern within the crypto community due to his tenure as SEC chairman. In December 2020, he led the agency in a lawsuit against Ripple, alleging the company raised $1.3 billion through unregistered securities sales. The case concluded in August 2025 with a court-ordered penalty of $125 million.
The litigation against Ripple resulted in a two-and-a-half-year delisting of XRP from major exchanges and delayed the asset's path to spot ETFs until November 2025. Although the SEC originally sought approximately $2 billion in penalties, the final judgment restricted Ripple's institutional sales through a permanent injunction.
