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Schumer: "Trump's taking America's national security hostage"
Posted
June 17, 2026
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June 17, 2026
9,121
250
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2:01Now PlayingSenate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Wednesday slammed President Trump's decision to postpone Jay Clayton's confirmation hearing to serve as director of national intelligence and instead install Bill Pulte in the position in an acting capacity.
"Trump just got caught red-handed undermining America's national security," the Democratic leader said on the Senate floor. "Trump's taking America's national security hostage to serve his own personal interests."
President Trump's appointment of Mr. Pulte, a housing regulator with no intelligence experience, was met with deep skepticism on Capitol Hill and derailed bipartisan efforts to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
Democrats demanded that Mr. Pulte never be allowed to head the nation's 18 intelligence agencies in exchange for their support for renewing the key surveillance authority.
President Trump then nominated Jay Clayton, the current top federal prosecutor in New York, for the permanent DNI role, and Republicans quickly scheduled a confirmation hearing for Wednesday, setting him up to be confirmed by Friday, when Mr. Pulte was set to take over in the acting role.
Early Wednesday morning, the president said he was postponing Mr. Clayton's confirmation hearing until Congress approves Jamie McDonald, his former personal attorney, for Mr. Clayton's previous post and approves the SAVE America Act, his voting overhaul bill that is well short of the support needed to pass.
"He is the one standing in the way of FISA," Sen. Schumer said. "It was already clear that Trump was the one blocking FISA, but the fact that he withdrew Jay Clayton should erase anyone's doubts. Trump wants FISA to stay expired."
#chuckschumer #billpulte #dni #fisa #cspan
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