GOP senator says Clayton DNI hearing still on despite Trump's push for cancellation

Trump picked Clayton to permanently lead ODNI after backlash to Bill Pulte.

Wednesday's confirmation hearing for Jay Clayton to be the next director of national intelligence has been postponed, according to Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Tom Cotton, after President Donald Trump pushed for it to be canceled.

"It’s regrettable that the president has directed Jay Clayton not to appear at his confirmation hearing today," Cotton wrote on X. "Mr. Clayton is a patriot and a highly qualified nominee, as the president has said repeatedly. While today’s hearing is now unfortunately postponed, I look forward to proceeding with his confirmation in the near future."

Trump, in an early morning social media post, said the confirmation process for Clayton would not continue until his pick to replace Clayton as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, is confirmed.

"Regarding the approval of our Great Patriot, Jay Clayton, 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."

Cotton, a Republican, at first rebuked Trump's push for a delay, saying the Senate panel would proceed unless Trump specifically directed Clayton not to show or withdrew his nomination altogether.

Trump announced last week he was nominating Clayton to permanently lead ODNI amid backlash from Democrats and Republicans to his appointment of Bill Pulte to be acting director.

Pulte is best known in the Trump administration for launching probes into several of the president's perceived political enemies over allegations of mortgage fraud and possible misuse of authority. Targets of the investigations include Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff and former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell. They've all denied wrongdoing.

Pulte's appointment stalled efforts to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act -- which allows the federal government to collect communications of foreigners abroad without a warrant. The program's legal authorization lapsed over the weekend.

Trump on Wednesday said that he wanted both his SAVE America Act bill and an extension to FISA to now pass together.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the chamber's top Democrat, slammed Trump's latest moves.

"Trump is twisting himself up in knots and jumping through hoops to make it impossible to reauthorize FISA right now, and he is embarrassing his Republican colleagues in the process," Schumer said. "Trump can blame Democrats all he wants, but no one is going to believe him."

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, when asked Wednesday about the Senate's path forward on FISA and Clayton's nomination, said they're taking a day-by-day approach.

"All I know is that Chairman Cotton is planning to proceed -- because you all know with the hearing -- and then from there on, we'll have to take it a day at a time until we get more clarity on kind of what the White House position is on this," Thune said.

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