Trump says he is canceling DNI hearings, as he urges lawmakers to pass voting restrictions law
By Kevin Liptak, CNN
Geneva (CNN) — President Donald Trump said he is canceling a planned hearing Wednesday for his nominee to serve as director of national intelligence, while once again urging lawmakers to pass a voting restrictions law.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump said he wouldn’t allow hearings to proceed for his DNI nominee Jay Clayton until Clayton’s replacement as Manhattan US attorney is confirmed.
He repeated his insistence that the extension of a key surveillance law be paired with his sweeping voting overhaul legislation known as the SAVE America Act.
“I will not approve FISA without THE SAVE AMERICA ACT going along with it. Not complicated, actually, the Republicans fell into a trap,” the president wrote early Wednesday.
“We are cancelling the Senate Hearing RE: DNI today, and will not be going forward until Jamie McDonald is approved to be U.S. Attorney,” he added. “In the meantime, Bill Pulte will remain as the Acting Director of National Intelligence.”
Canceling a Senate hearing would typically be decided by the committee holding the hearing — in this case, the Senate Intelligence Committee. It was unclear if Trump had spoken to the panel’s chairman, Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, before posting his message about the hearing, which is set to take place at 2:00 p.m. ET Wednesday. A GOP leadership aide declined to comment.
Pulte was Trump’s controversial selection to serve as acting head of intelligence. He was slated to begin the job on Friday. He has used his current position atop a housing agency to go after Trump’s perceived rivals.
Pulte’s selection caused outcry among many Republicans and from Democrats, who refused to put up the votes needed to pass an extension of the key foreign surveillance program.
When Trump nominated Clayton to serve permanently in the DNI job, Senate Republicans expedited the nomination process in the hopes of ensuring Pulte would not remain in the job long.
Trump, in his post Wednesday, appeared upset that some Republicans had worked to hasten Pulte’s exit from the intelligence post.
“The Republicans agreed with Dumocrats to remove very fair, and talented, William Pulte, from serving as Acting DNI in return for getting FISA approved by the Dumocrats. However, the Republicans moved so fast with the hearings of the Great Jay Clayton, current U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, that Pulte would be gone before the Dumocrats would vote on FISA,” Trump wrote.
“Now, the Dumocrats are saying they will vote against FISA — So, the Republicans wound up having fulfilled their commitment, but Dumocrats broke the Deal,” he went on.
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Ted Barrett contributed to this report.
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