President Donald Trump abruptly canceled the Senate confirmation hearing for Jay Clayton, his nominee for director of national intelligence, hours before it was scheduled to begin. The move came in a pre-dawn Truth Social post where Trump demanded the Senate first approve Jamie McDonald as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Meanwhile, Bill Pulte, a housing official with no intelligence experience, will remain acting director.
The cancellation complicates efforts to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which expired last week. Trump also tied the surveillance program's renewal to passage of the SAVE America Act, a voting restrictions bill lacking sufficient Senate support. Democrats have vowed not to approve FISA reauthorization if Pulte remains in the acting role.
Senate Republicans expressed frustration. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) called the move "another kink in the slinky that makes no sense," while Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said the Senate would "take it a day at a time" until receiving White House clarity. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), chair of the Intelligence Committee, initially insisted the hearing would proceed but later postponed it after Trump's directive.
The SAVE America Act faces opposition from both parties. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) stated there's "not even Republican support" for the bill, which would require eliminating the Senate filibuster to pass. Trump has also demanded $1 billion for his White House ballroom and pushed for ending the filibuster entirely, further straining relations with Senate Republicans.