Nomination Leverage
President Trump Delays Intelligence Director Nomination to Pressure Congress on Voter ID Bill
Anonymous
President Trump announced early Tuesday that he is delaying Jay Clayton's nomination as the nation's intelligence director — using the vacancy as a bargaining chip to force a Senate vote on a voter ID bill. Associated Press reported that Trump made the announcement at 4:24 AM from the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, posting on Truth Social that voter ID "should be something that NO American should oppose."
The move leaves the 18-agency U.S. intelligence community without a confirmed leader, just days after FISA Section 702 — the government's main warrantless surveillance tool — expired on June 12. Bill Pulte, Trump's pick for acting DNI, is expected to take over on June 19 despite having no intelligence background, according to Legis1.
A Month of Intelligence Chaos Leading Here
The crisis began May 22 when DNI Tulsi Gabbard resigned, citing her husband's health. Trump first named Bill Pulte — director of a housing finance agency — as acting DNI on June 1. Bipartisan backlash was swift. Lawmakers in both parties said Pulte had zero intelligence experience, according to PBS News.
Trump then nominated Jay Clayton on June 11 as a more conventional choice. Clayton is the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and former SEC Chair. The Senate Intelligence Committee fast-tracked a confirmation hearing, according to Legis1. That momentum stopped cold when Trump posted his Truth Social announcement six days later.
The SAVE Act: What Trump Wants in Exchange
The bill at the center of the standoff is the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. It requires proof of citizenship — a passport or birth certificate — to register to vote in federal elections. The House passed it 220–208 on April 10, 2025, but it has stalled in the Senate for over a year, according to NY Post.
Critics say roughly 21 million eligible American citizens lack easy access to those documents, per data from the Brennan Center. Civil rights groups call it a "show-your-papers" law designed to suppress votes before the 2026 midterms. Five states — including Arizona and New Hampshire — have already passed similar rules, according to SF Chronicle.
FISA Expiration Raises the National Security Stakes
The delay does not happen in a vacuum. FISA Section 702 expired June 12 after Senate Democrats blocked its renewal to protest Pulte's acting appointment, according to TIME. Section 702 lets agencies collect the communications of foreign targets without a warrant. Intelligence officials say its lapse has left a real "blind spot" in national security.
Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, called the DNI delay "dangerous," saying the administration is "gambling with national security" to pass a "suppressive" voting bill. Non-partisan intelligence veterans echoed those concerns, warning that an acting director with no IC background weakens U.S. credibility at the G7 summit, according to PBS News.
Congress Faces a Hard Choice Before June 19
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is now caught between White House pressure and a Republican caucus nervous about a prolonged intelligence vacuum, according to Boston Globe. Trump has made clear he will keep Pulte in the acting role indefinitely if Congress does not act. That means the Senate must either pass the SAVE Act or watch an unqualified acting director take charge of all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) called Clayton an "excellent choice" but stopped short of criticizing the delay. Meanwhile, Trump has also directed the acting DNI to cut staffing at the ODNI, signaling a broader restructuring is coming regardless of how the Senate votes, according to PBS News.
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