Get you up to speed: Trump puts Jay Clayton’s nomination for intel chief on hold
President Trump announced the delay of Jay Clayton’s nomination to lead the U.S. intelligence community during the Group of Seven summit in Évian-les-Bains, France. He will keep Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence, amid bipartisan opposition to Pulte’s nomination.
President Trump is delaying Jay Clayton’s nomination amid attempts to secure support for a voter ID bill, with the Senate Intelligence Committee expected to vote on the matter soon. As the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Clayton previously led the Securities and Exchange Commission before facing this unprecedented nomination delay influenced by bipartisan opposition.
President Trump announced the delay of Jay Clayton’s nomination to lead the U.S. intelligence community, linking it to the passage of a voter ID bill, which currently lacks sufficient support in Congress. Following this development, the Intelligence Committee is expected to vote on Clayton’s nomination as soon as Thursday, amidst bipartisan tensions concerning the expired surveillance program.
What remains unclear — It is uncertain when Congress will address the voter ID bill needed for President Trump’s approval of the surveillance program.
Trump delays Jay Clayton’s nomination as intelligence chief to press Congress on voter ID bill
Évian-les-Bains, France — President Trump said on Wednesday that he’s delaying Jay Clayton’s nomination to lead the U.S. intelligence community in a bid to force Congress to act on a voter ID bill that currently lacks enough support for passage.
Mr. Trump said in a lengthy post on his social media site that he will keep Bill Pulte, a top U.S. housing official, as acting director of national intelligence.
Lawmakers in both parties had opposed Mr. Trump’s nomination of Pulte, citing his apparent lack of experience in the intelligence field, which essentially forced the president to turn to Clayton.
Clayton had been set to appear on Wednesday for a Senate confirmation hearing that was fast-tracked because of the lapse of a crucial surveillance program due to bipartisan anger over Mr. Trump’s pick of Pulte. The Intelligence Committee was expected to vote on Clayton’s nomination as soon as Thursday.
Democrats had said they wouldn’t renew the expired surveillance programs until Mr. Trump withdrew Pulte’s nomination.
In the social media post, Mr. Trump accused Democrats of breaking a deal to renew the program after he nominated Clayton. Mr. Trump also said he doesn’t want to take Clayton out of the U.S. attorney’s office before his replacement, Jamie McDonald, is approved.
And he added another condition: linking his approval of the surveillance program to the passage of a bill requiring people to show ID in order to vote.
“Therefore, 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,” Mr. Trump said, using the acronym for the surveillance program and his name for the voter ID bill.
The Republican-controlled Congress hasn’t acted on the voting bill because it does not have enough support to pass in either chamber, particularly from Democrats.
A well-regarded lawyer, Clayton currently serves as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, one of the highest-profile and most prestigious jurisdictions in the country. The office is known for its prosecution of white-collar cases and financial crimes. Clayton served as the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission in the first Trump administration following a lengthy career at the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell.
Mr. Trump made the announcement in Evian-les-Bains, France, where he was participating in the final day of the Group of Seven summit of leading industrial economies.