GOP Challenges Trump
Senate Republicans Express Frustration Over Trump's Social Media Moves Affecting Key Confirmations
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Senate Republicans are openly breaking with President Trump after he used a Tuesday morning Truth Social post to cancel Jay Clayton's Senate confirmation hearing for Director of National Intelligence — blindsiding even his closest allies on Capitol Hill WJLA. The surprise move left a loyalist with zero intelligence experience, Acting DNI Bill Pulte, in charge of all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies with no end in sight.
The fallout is piling up fast. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act — which lets agencies monitor foreign threats — already expired on June 12 CBS News. Without a permanent DNI or a working surveillance law, national security officials say the U.S. is flying partially blind.
How a Surprise Post Blew Up the Confirmation Plan
The timeline moved fast. Tulsi Gabbard resigned as DNI on June 1, citing her husband's cancer diagnosis TIME. Trump named Bill Pulte — a mortgage regulator with no spy agency background — as acting DNI the very next day. Bipartisan outrage followed immediately.
To calm the Senate, Trump nominated Jay Clayton on June 11. Clayton is a former SEC chair and current top federal prosecutor in New York — a respected, conventional pick. Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Tom Cotton and Majority Leader John Thune said they would hold the hearing on June 17. Then, at around 10 a.m. that morning, the White House directed Clayton not to show up The Guardian. Cotton called it "regrettable."
Trump's Two Demands Are Splitting His Own Party
Trump posted on Truth Social that he will not approve any FISA renewal "without THE SAVE AMERICA ACT going along with it" The 19th News. The SAVE America Act requires proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo ID for all federal elections. Passing it needs 60 Senate votes — a threshold it nowhere near has.
Trump also demanded the Senate first confirm Jamie McDonald as Clayton's replacement at the Southern District of New York before Clayton gets his own hearing. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said flatly, "I can only do what I can do here... We're the Article I branch" CBS News. Senator John Cornyn of Texas warned the situation could be a "disaster" for the final two years of Trump's presidency.
Democrats Block FISA, Citing Pulte as the Unqualified Acting DNI
Section 702 of FISA is a powerful tool. It lets U.S. agencies collect communications of foreign targets overseas without a warrant. The House rejected an extension on June 12. Democrats said they voted no because Pulte — a man who ran a housing finance agency — should not be overseeing spy operations The Washington Post.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was blunt: "Pulte has got to go... No matter what else they do" TIME. Republicans had hoped Clayton's nomination would break the logjam. But with Trump tying the confirmation to a voter ID bill Democrats will never support, that path is now blocked too.
Midterm Stakes Make the GOP's Legislative Failures More Dangerous
The timing is bad for Republicans. They must defend 22 Senate seats in the 2026 midterms, compared to just 13 for Democrats Brookings Institution. Democrats currently lead by 5.8 points on the RealClearPolitics generic ballot average. Analysts warn that if Republicans lose the Senate, the "legislative phase of Trump's presidency would end" The Dispatch.
This DNI fight is not the first time Trump's social media posts have torpedoed his own party's plans. Earlier in 2026, Trump used Truth Social to blow up a $70 billion immigration funding package by demanding a $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization" fund for his allies' legal fees OPB. Senate Republicans are now asking publicly how many more surprises they can absorb before voters take notice.
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