TRUMP CANCELS JAY CLAYTON'S DNI CONFIRMATION HEARING, NAMING BILL PULTE ACTING INTELLIGENCE CHIEF AND STALLING FISA REAUTHORIZATION PUSH.(PHOTO).

Trump cancels Jay Clayton's DNI confirmation hearing, naming Bill Pulte acting intelligence chief and stalling FISA reauthorization push

 President Donald Trump said Wednesday he is canceling a Senate confirmation hearing for Jay Clayton, his nominee for director of national intelligence, in a move that further complicates efforts to restore a key surveillance authority that recently expired.

The announcement, posted on Truth Social, effectively clears the way for Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to serve as acting intelligence chief beginning Friday. The decision follows months of political friction over the intelligence post and a stalled effort to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Clayton, currently serving as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, had been nominated to lead the intelligence community after Democrats objected to earlier plans tied to Pulte’s temporary role. However, bipartisan concerns have been raised over Pulte’s lack of intelligence experience.

Senate Republicans had hoped to move quickly on Clayton’s confirmation after a scheduled Wednesday hearing, with the goal of stabilizing leadership and reviving momentum to extend the expired surveillance program. That plan unraveled after Trump abruptly canceled the hearing.

The Senate Intelligence Committee had been set to review Clayton’s nomination, a step typically controlled by committee leadership, including Chair Sen. Tom Cotton and ranking Democrat Sen. Mark Warner.

Trump also said he would keep Clayton in his current role as U.S. attorney until another nominee, private attorney Jamie McDonald, is confirmed to replace him. He said the intelligence post will remain in Pulte’s hands in the interim.

“The White House declined to comment on the timing of Pulte’s formal start, pointing instead to Trump’s statement.

In his post, Trump also criticized the lapse of the surveillance program, which plays a major role in intelligence briefings, and renewed his push for broader legislative priorities, including voter ID requirements tied to funding extensions.

Democrats have previously blocked short-term extensions of the surveillance authority, arguing against Pulte’s involvement in the intelligence role. The program remains a point of sharp division in Congress, even as it is widely viewed as a critical tool for monitoring foreign threats.