Congress Intelligence Director

FILE - Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., speaks during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, at the Capitol in Washington, Jan. 15, 2025.

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Trump delays his own national intelligence nominee, fueling tension with fellow Republicans

Trump delays his own national intelligence nominee, fueling tension with fellow Republicans

President Donald Trump is trying to stop the confirmation process for his own nominee to head the nation’s intelligence agencies. Trump's extraordinary move Wednesday upended Senate efforts to renew a crucial surveillance program that expired last week and fueled fresh tensions with fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill. Trump declared in a social media post he was delaying the nomination of Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence just hours before his scheduled hearing. Republicans eventually postponed the hearing for Clayton, who's U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. Further complicating matters, Trump says he won't sign the surveillance program renewal without his legislation to require proof of citizenship for voters.