President Donald J. Trump has moved to delay Jay Clayton’s nomination as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) as part of a renewed effort to push the Senate to pass the SAVE America Act.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump moved to delay the confirmation of Jay Clayton as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) on Wednesday morning, while tying the renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to the passage of election integrity measures in the SAVE America Act. Trump stated on Truth Social that he will keep his previous nominee, Bill Pulte, as Acting DNI while Congress deliberates. 📺 DETAIL: Clayton, currently the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and a former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) chairman, had been scheduled for a Senate confirmation hearing this week. The nomination had been fast-tracked amid disputes over the renewal of FISA, which recently expired. Democrats had previously indicated they would not support renewing the surveillance program while Pulte remained Trump’s nominee. However, Trump accuses Democrats of breaking an agreement related to FISA, and said he would not approve its renewal unless Congress also passes voter ID requirements in the SAVE AMERICA Act. The Republican-controlled Congress has ostensibly not advanced the bill due to insufficient support, particularly among Democrats. 💬 KEY QUOTE: “[F]or 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.” – President Trump. 🎯 IMPACT: The attempt to delay Clayton’s confirmation hearing and link FISA to the SAVE Act underscores the tension between President Trump and the GOP establishment over the importance of election integrity. Democrats oppose voter ID measures, despite an overwhelming majority of Americans, including Democrat voters, supporting them, claiming they are concerned by potential voter suppression. Significantly, past research indicates that when noncitizens vote unlawfully, they tend to vote Democrat, sometimes swinging elections in their favor decisively. |
Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.
