President Trump said he plans to keep Bill Pruitt, the controversial acting DNI director, in the role as he pushes for surveillance and voter ID laws.
President Donald Trump has delayed confirmation of a nominee for director of national intelligence (DNI) while urging lawmakers to pass legislation on surveillance and voter identification requirements.
President Trump made the announcement Wednesday in a post on Truth Social, saying he will continue to serve as DNI Bill Pelt and delay confirmation of nominee Jay Clayton.
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Creighton was scheduled to appear at his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday afternoon, but President Trump forced a postponement by directing him not to appear.
The president said he wanted to pressure Democrats to pass controversial surveillance and voter identification laws and that he did not want to remove Clayton from his post as federal prosecutor until a replacement was confirmed.
“In the meantime, Bill Pulte will remain acting director of national intelligence,” Trump said.
Mr. Creighton’s nomination by the U.S. president last week came as a welcome relief to many members of Congress, including prominent Republicans, who had expressed concerns about Mr. Pelt and his lack of experience.
Mr. Pulte, a Trump supporter and housing official, had never held a job in the intelligence community or the military. The DNI oversees the intelligence community of 18 agencies in Washington.
Mr. Clayton, by contrast, currently holds what is considered one of the most prestigious positions at the Justice Department, serving as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan.
The DNI vacancy arose after Tulsi Gabbard announced her resignation in May due to her husband’s cancer treatment.
FISA and voter identification
Creighton’s confirmation was aimed at quickly gaining Democratic support for provisions of the controversial Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which is currently in the process of being updated.
Section 702 of the Act allows spy agencies to collect communications of targeted foreign nationals outside the United States without obtaining a warrant. Civil rights activists have denounced the tool, saying it exposes Americans to indirect government data collection.
Democrats had promised not to renew the provision if Mr. Pulte remained in office.
In his post, Trump argued that Creighton’s approval could come before a FISA vote, giving Democrats an opportunity to change their position.
President Trump added another condition, saying he would not approve FISA unless lawmakers pass legislation requiring voter ID in U.S. elections. The bill was a key priority for President Trump ahead of the November midterm elections, but has failed to pass the 60-vote threshold in the Senate.
“So, to add a little bit of intrigue, in the interest of our country and our people, I will not authorize FISA unless the American Rescue Act is enacted,” President Trump said in his Truth Social post.
Despite those comments, Republican Sen. Tom Cotton, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, initially said he intended to proceed with Creighton’s confirmation hearing on Wednesday unless President Trump withdraws his nomination or orders him not to appear.
Mr. Trump ultimately directed Mr. Clayton to skip the hearing. As a result, Mr Cotton was forced to postpone the hearing. The senator subsequently issued a statement expressing regret over the situation.
“It is unfortunate that the President directed Jay Clayton not to appear at today’s confirmation hearing,” Cotton said in a statement.
“As the President has repeatedly stated, Mr. Clayton is a patriot and an extremely qualified candidate. Although today’s hearing has unfortunately been postponed, I look forward to moving forward with his confirmation process in the near future.”
Democrats, on the other hand, said the situation was chaotic.
“At every turn, the President has injected more uncertainty into a process that should be focused on one thing: keeping the American people safe,” Sen. Mark Warner said in a statement.
“The president’s latest intervention only highlights a simple reality: The biggest obstacle to solving these problems is not Senate Democrats or Senate Republicans; it is the chaos and confusion coming from the White House itself.”
