By admin 
- President Donald Trump canceled a confirmation hearing for his intelligence chief nominee Jay Clayton.
- Trump expressed frustration with legislative negotiations over a surveillance law extension, accusing Democrats of breaking a deal.
- Trump said acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte will remain in the role despite concerns about his appointment.
Geneva —
President Donald Trump said he is canceling a planned hearing Wednesday for his nominee to serve as director of national intelligence, venting frustration at legislative maneuvering over a US surveillance law.
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Writing on Truth Social, Trump said he wouldn’t allow hearings to proceed for his DNI nominee Jay Clayton until Clayton’s replacement as Manhattan US attorney is confirmed.
“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 remain as the Acting Director of National Intelligence.”
Canceling a Senate hearing would typically be decided by the committee holding the hearing — in this case, the Senate Intelligence Committee. It was unclear if Trump had spoken to the panel’s chairman, Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, before posting his message about the hearing, which is set to take place at 2:00 p.m. ET Wednesday.
Pulte was Trump’s controversial selection to serve as acting head of intelligence. He was slated to begin the job on Friday. He has used his current position atop a housing agency to go after Trump’s perceived rivals.
Pulte’s selection caused outcry among Democrats, who refused to put up the votes needed to pass an extension of the key foreign surveillance program.
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When Trump nominated Clayton to serve permanently in the DNI job, Senate Republicans expedited the nomination process in the hopes of ensuring Pulte would not remain in the job long.
Trump, in his post Wednesday, appeared upset that some Republicans had worked to hasten Pulte’s exit from the intelligence post.
“The Republicans agreed with Dumocrats to remove very fair, and talented, William Pulte, from serving as Acting DNI in return for getting FISA approved by the Dumocrats. However, the Republicans moved so fast with the hearings of the Great Jay Clayton, current U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, that Pulte would be gone before the Dumocrats would vote on FISA,” Trump wrote.
“Now, the Dumocrats are saying they will vote against FISA — So, the Republicans wound up having fulfilled their commitment, but Dumocrats broke the Deal,” he went on.
Trump also repeated his insistence that the extension of the surveillance law be paired with the sweeping voting overhaul legislation known as the SAVE America Act.
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This story has been updated with additional information.