Topline
President Donald Trump halted former SEC Chair Jay Clayton’s Senate hearing for Director of National Intelligence until the Senate confirms his pick to replace Clayton at the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s office, adding he will not approve the renewal of a key federal surveillance law until Congress approves voter ID legislation.
Key Facts
In a lengthy post on Truth Social, the president wrote that he is “canceling” the Senate hearing for Clayton on Wednesday.
Trump said the nomination will not move forward until Jamie McDonald, his pick to replace Clayton as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, is approved by the Senate.
The president added that Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte, a Trump loyalist who has targeted the president’s enemies, will remain acting director of national intelligence despite his appointment facing bipartisan pushback.
In his post, Trump complained that the nomination of Clayton was moving “so fast” that his interim pick Pulte would be gone before Democrats get to vote on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), whose authorization expired last week.
Democrats have said they will not approve a FISA renewal until Trump withdraws Pulte’s appointment as acting DNI.
The president claimed that with Pulte out of the way, Democrats are saying “they will vote against FISA,” as he accused them of breaking a deal despite the GOP fulfilling its commitment.
What Did Trump Say About Clayton’s Replacement As U.S. Attorney?
The president said he doesn’t want to take Clayton “away from the great job he is doing until Jamie [McDonald] is in place.” The president also signaled that he was worried that Democrats would use the Senate’s blue slip tradition to block McDonald’s nomination, noting: “Because of the ridiculous views of Republicans on blue slipping… I may not be able to get the extraordinary Sullivan & Cromwell Partner, Jamie, approved.” The president has repeatedly attacked the blue slip tradition as outdated and has unsuccessfully demanded that the Senate GOP ditch it. The blue slip is a form that allows Senators to block a presidential nomination for a district judge or U.S. attorney from their home state if they don’t approve. This informal veto is not codified as a rule but is seen as a courtesy that’s been in place for decades. The tradition has angered Trump as Democrats have used it to block his nominees.
What Did Trump Say About Voter ID legislation?
While he accused the Democrats of planning to vote against renewing the powerful Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, Trump also conditioned his approval of the foreign-spying powers on the passage of his preferred voter ID legislation. “To add a slight bit of intrigue, for the Good of the Nation and the People of our Country, I will not approve FISA without THE SAVE AMERICA ACT going along with it,” the president wrote. Democrats have fervently opposed the SAVE ACT, warning that it will disenfranchise several voters and the GOP Congressional leadership has also acknowledged that there isn’t adequate support to pass the bill in both chambers.
Key Background
Pulte’s appointment as interim DNI drew criticism from both Democrats and some Republican lawmakers, as critics pointed out that he has no background in intelligence and lacks the experience needed for this role. Democrats also pointed out that, as housing chief, Pulte has targeted the president’s enemies with mortgage-fraud investigations. Last week, Trump announced he was nominating Clayton to serve as DNI, a role which Tulsi Gabbard resigned from last month. At the time, the president called for Clayton to be confirmed by the Senate “as soon as possible.”
Trump Nominates Jay Clayton For Director Of National Intelligence After Interim Pick Pulte Derailed Congress (Forbes)
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