June 17 (Reuters) – President Donald Trump said Wednesday’s Senate hearing on Jay Clayton’s nomination to become the next U.S. spy chief was canceled and would not go forward until James McDonald is confirmed as a U.S. Attorney.
Last week, Trump nominated Clayton, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, to be the next spy chief amid a political firestorm over Bill Pulte, a fierce loyalist whom Trump picked to fill the role on a temporary basis.
He then nominated James McDonald to replace Clayton as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, one of the most powerful prosecutors in the country.
McDonald needs Senate approval to serve in the role and Trump said on Wednesday that he did not want to remove Clayton from his post until McDonald was in place.
The president said that Pulte would remain as acting Director of National Intelligence in the meantime.
He said Republicans had agreed with the Democrats to remove Pulte as acting spy chief in return for the approval of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
“However, the Republicans moved so fast with the hearings of the Great Jay Clayton … that Pulte would be gone before the (Democrats) would vote on FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act),” he said, claiming that Democrats now say they would vote against FISA.
“Not complicated, actually, the Republicans fell into a trap,” he said.
Trump also reiterated that he would not approve the renewal of FISA without his Save America Act passing along with it, which would require proof of citizenship for voting.
Congress last week rejected a short-term extension of foreign surveillance powers sought by Trump amid a standoff over his selection of Pulte. Some lawmakers also oppose an extension of FISA under any circumstances.
Trump on Sunday said he opposed any renewal of FISA that does not include his Save America Act. The voter identification bill has no relation to FISA. But Trump has said that he would not sign any other legislation until the measure is passed.
(Reporting by Shubham Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Alex Richardson and Thomas Derpinghaus)
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