GOP committee chair barreling ahead with hearing for DNI pick despite Trump blowing up nomination process

Republican Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton announced Wednesday that U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton’s confirmation hearing to be the next director of national intelligence will proceed.

Trump stated on Truth Social Wednesday that Clayton’s nomination would not move forward until Jamie McDonald is approved to be the next attorney for the Southern District of New York. Cotton, who chairs the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, stated the confirmation hearing will proceed unless Trump directs Clayton not to appear or withdraws his nomination.

“Jay Clayton is a pending nominee before the Intelligence Committee. We will proceed with his hearing as scheduled unless the president directs him not to appear or withdraws his nomination,” Cotton said.

Jay Clayton is a pending nominee before the Intelligence Committee. We will proceed with his hearing as scheduled unless the president directs him not to appear or withdraws his nomination.

— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) June 17, 2026

The Senate scheduled Clayton’s hearing unusually early, reflecting the pressure on the upper chamber to pass an extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) that expired on June 12, which allows the government to conduct warrantless searches on American citizens’ data.

Trump stated in the same statement that he would not support an extension of Section 702 unless the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act was attached to it. He added that both parties agreed to remove U.S. Federal Housing Director Bill Pulte, who was slated to serve as acting DNI, as long as Section 702 was approved.

“The 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,” Trump wrote. “Now, the Dumocrats are saying they will vote against FISA — So, the Republicans wound up having fulfilled their commitment, but Dumocrats broke the Deal.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters that the Senate would not attach the SAVE America Act to FISA, calling the move “unrealistic.”

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