What Did Trump Say About Clayton’s Replacement As U.S. Attorney?
The president said he doesn’t want to take Clayton “away from the great job he is doing until Jamie [McDonald] is in place.” The president also signaled that he was worried that Democrats would use the Senate’s blue slip tradition to block McDonald’s nomination, noting: “Because of the ridiculous views of Republicans on blue slipping… I may not be able to get the extraordinary Sullivan & Cromwell Partner, Jamie, approved.” The president has repeatedly attacked the blue slip tradition as outdated and has unsuccessfully demanded that the Senate GOP ditch it. The blue slip is a form that allows Senators to block a presidential nomination for a district judge or U.S. attorney from their home state if they don’t approve. This informal veto is not codified as a rule but is seen as a courtesy that’s been in place for decades. The tradition has angered Trump as Democrats have used it to block his nominees.
What Did Trump Say About Voter ID legislation?
While he accused the Democrats of planning to vote against renewing the powerful Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, Trump also conditioned his approval of the foreign-spying powers on the passage of his preferred voter ID legislation. “To add a slight bit of intrigue, for the Good of the Nation and the People of our Country, I will not approve FISA without THE SAVE AMERICA ACT going along with it,” the president wrote. Democrats have fervently opposed the SAVE ACT, warning that it will disenfranchise several voters and the GOP Congressional leadership has also acknowledged that there isn’t adequate support to pass the bill in both chambers.
Key Background
Pulte’s appointment as interim DNI drew criticism from both Democrats and some Republican lawmakers, as critics pointed out that he has no background in intelligence and lacks the experience needed for this role. Democrats also pointed out that, as housing chief, Pulte has targeted the president’s enemies with mortgage-fraud investigations. Last week, Trump announced he was nominating Clayton to serve as DNI, a role which Tulsi Gabbard resigned from last month. At the time, the president called for Clayton to be confirmed by the Senate “as soon as possible.”
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further reading
Trump Nominates Jay Clayton For Director Of National Intelligence After Interim Pick Pulte Derailed Congress (Forbes)
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