President Donald Trump announced early Wednesday that he is putting the brakes on efforts to confirm his nominee for director of national intelligence, Jay Clayton, while escalating a growing dispute over the future of a key federal surveillance authority.
In a lengthy Truth Social post published shortly before 4 a.m. Eastern Time, Trump accused Democrats of backing away from what he described as an agreement surrounding the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, commonly known as FISA.
The surveillance provision officially expired at midnight on June 12 and has become the center of an increasingly contentious debate in Washington.
According to Trump, Republicans agreed to move forward with personnel changes involving Bill Pulte, who currently serves as acting director of national intelligence, with the expectation that Democrats would support FISA’s renewal. Trump argued that Republicans fulfilled their obligations while Democrats failed to uphold theirs.
“Now, the Dumocrats are saying they will vote against FISA,” Trump wrote. “So, the Republicans wound up having fulfilled their commitment, but Dumocrats broke the Deal.”
The president’s comments reflect the broader struggle in Congress over surveillance powers, intelligence authorities, and national security policy. While supporters of FISA argue that such tools provide intelligence agencies with critical information, debates over government surveillance have long generated concern across the political spectrum.
Trump made clear that he is no longer willing to support a standalone extension of the program.
Instead, he said any future approval of FISA must be tied to passage of his proposed SAVE America Act. According to Trump, the legislation would require voters to present photo identification in federal elections and would place limits on mail-in ballots.
“To add a slight bit of intrigue but, 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,” Trump wrote. “Not complicated, actually, the Republicans fell into a trap.”
The dispute has also spilled into the administration’s personnel plans.
Trump announced that Clayton’s Senate confirmation hearing for director of national intelligence would not move forward for now. Clayton currently serves as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York.
The president said he wants Jamie McDonald, his nominee to replace Clayton in that role, to be approved before Clayton leaves his current position.
Trump expressed concern that Senate traditions surrounding the “blue slip” process could complicate McDonald’s confirmation, potentially leaving the Southern District position vacant if Clayton were confirmed and departed too soon.
As a result, Trump said Clayton will remain in his current post while the administration waits for McDonald’s nomination to advance.
“Regarding the approval of our Great Patriot, Jay Clayton, 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,” Trump wrote.
In the meantime, Bill Pulte will continue serving as acting director of national intelligence. Pulte’s nomination to permanently lead the intelligence community had previously generated controversy among Democrats and some Republicans because of his lack of military and intelligence experience.
Trump’s statement represented a significant intervention in both the confirmation process and the ongoing FISA debate, underscoring how disputes over surveillance authorities, election policy, and personnel appointments have become increasingly intertwined.
NBC News correspondent Garrett Haake noted that the president does not possess the authority to formally cancel a Senate hearing, though he could potentially persuade or direct his nominee not to attend.
Trump remained in France on Wednesday as he completed the final day of the G7 Summit while the political battle over FISA, intelligence leadership, and Senate confirmations continued back in Washington.
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