From 3h agoTrump delays Clayton's nomination for intelligence director to push Congress on voter ID billPresident Donald Trump has said that he was delaying federal prosecutor Jay Clayton’s nomination to lead the US intelligence community in a bid to force Congress to act on a voter ID bill that currently lacks enough support for passage.The Republican president said in a social media post just hours before Clayton’s scheduled confirmation hearing that he will keep Bill Pulte, a top US housing official, as acting director of national intelligence.Democratic and Republican lawmakers had opposed Trump’s selection of Pulte, citing his lack of known experience in intelligence and his use of his current role to target perceived adversaries of the president - resistance that last week forced Trump to turn to Clayton.He wrote:
double quotation markThe 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. Now, the Dumocrats are saying they will vote against FISA — So, the Republicans wound up having fulfilled their commitment, but Dumocrats broke the Deal.
