President Donald Trump has delayed Jay Clayton's nomination for Director of National Intelligence, linking the confirmation to the passage of a voter ID bill and the confirmation of James McDonald as U.S. Attorney. Bill Pulte will remain as acting DNI.
The delay highlights President Trump's strategy of leveraging key nominations to advance his legislative priorities, potentially impacting national security leadership and surveillance laws.
President Donald Trump announced that the Senate hearing for Jay Clayton's nomination to be the next U.S. spy chief has been canceled. Trump stated that Clayton's confirmation will not move forward until James McDonald is confirmed as a U.S. Attorney. The president indicated that Bill Pulte would continue to serve as the acting Director of National Intelligence in the interim.
Trump linked the delay to pressure Congress to pass a voter ID bill, which he has stated he would not sign any other legislation until it is passed. He also reiterated his stance that he would not approve the renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) without his Save America Act, which requires proof of citizenship for voting, also passing.
Trump claimed that Republicans had agreed with Democrats to remove Pulte in exchange for approval of FISA, but that the expedited hearings for Clayton meant Pulte would be gone before Democrats would vote on FISA, leading Democrats to now state they would vote against it. He described this as Republicans falling into a trap.
Republicans, led by Senate Majority Leader John Thune, are pushing for Clayton's swift confirmation, calling him "eminently qualified." However, Democrats, including Senator Ron Wyden, expressed a preference for thorough vetting, with Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer stating a decision would be made after Clayton's hearing.