US National Intelligence Director James Clapper says he has submitted his letter of resignation. He plans to stay on until the end of the Obama administration.

"I submitted my letter of resignation last night, which felt pretty good. I got 64 days left and I think I would have a hard time with my wife anything past that," said Clapper.

The 75-year-old Clapper told a congressional hearing he would step down on January 20th, the day Donald Trump takes office. Clapper has served as the US intelligence chief since 2010.

He has coordinated the work of 17 disparate offices like the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after the September 11 attacks in 2001, which exposed weaknesses in assembling scattered intelligence from different agencies.

His departure leaves another major position the incoming Trump administration needs to fill.