Democrats demand Trump ‘guarantee’ Pulte will not be acting intelligence director for any time at all
While Senate Democrats welcomed the nomination of Jay Clayton to the role of national intelligence director, they continued to insist that, before Clayton’s expected confirmation, the acting director must not be Bill Pulte, the political “attack dog” Donald Trump wants given full access to the nation’s secrets .
When Trump announced that he was nominating Clayton, he made no mention of also withdrawing Pulte as interim director after Tulsi Gabbard leaves this month. Clayton cannot be confirmed before Gabbard’s departure, meaning an acting director will be needed.
“Pulte has to go”, Chuck Schumer, the senior Democrat in the Senate told reporters on Thursday. “He cannot be in the DNI role. Our national security is too important.”
Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of House Democrats, also said that Trump has to “withdraw” his decision to elevate Pulte to interim intelligence director before Congress can act to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa), which allows US intelligence agencies to intercept foreign communications without a court warrant, a provision that expires on Friday.
“Under no circumstances should the American people be asked to trust their privacy and national security” to Pulte, the New York congressman told NewsNation.
Mark Warner, the vice-chair of the Senate intelligence committee agreed. “I have known and respected Jay Clayton for many years and believe he is a capable public servant”, Warner said in a statement.
“That said, let me be clear – while I am glad to see the president finally come to his senses, before the Senate can take up a FISA extension there needs to be a clear guarantee that Mr. Pulte will not serve as acting DNI”, Warner added. “Either Director Gabbard must remain in place or the administration must designate the Senate-confirmed Principal Deputy DNI as the acting head through any transition.”
Key events
Adam Schiff says Trump still has a ‘Pulte problem’ since confirmation of new intelligence director could take months
Senator Adam Schiff, the California Democrat, said in a statement on Thursday that Donald Trump’s decision to nominate Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence “does not resolve the President’s Pulte problem”, since the Senate confirmation of Clayton could take months and Democrats will not accept Bill Pulte, a federal mortgage official, as interim director.
“Bill Pulte cannot be allowed to weaponize the intelligence community, misuse it for purposes of election interference, politicize the conclusion of analysts to suit the President’s false narratives, or rifle through the private data of the America people”, Schiff, a former chair of the House intelligence committee, said.
“The best course of action would be to allow the Senate-confirmed Principal Deputy DNI – a Trump pick himself – Aaron Lukas, to lead the office while the Senate undertakes a full and thorough vetting of Mr. Clayton’s nomination”.
“Clayton’s resume reveals a troubling lack of intelligence community experience”, Schiff added.
The senator, a former federal prosecutor, led the impeachment of Trump in 2019 after an intelligence community whistleblower reported the president’s effort to force Ukraine’s president to investigate baseless conspiracy theories about Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton’s emails.
Rachel Leingang
Days before he was nominated as director of national intelligence, Jay Clayton discussed the potential of fraud in California’s elections, falsely saying the state’s laws left open the “opportunity for fraud”.
Clayton, the US attorney for Manhattan and the former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, has a lengthy legal résumé in the private and public sector and a track record of unequivocal support for Donald Trump and his agenda.
Like Bill Pulte, Clayton does not have experience in the intelligence world and is most recently notable for signing off on the indictment against the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro.
Before Trump appointed him to the SEC role, Clayton had a career as a Wall Street attorney that made him a multimillionaire. While a lawyer at the white-shoe law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, he represented major financial players including Goldman Sachs, which he represented during the 2008 recession, according to the New York Times.
In 2017, during Trump’s first term, the president nominated Clayton as chair of the SEC. Near the end of that term, Clayton was tapped for the US attorney in Manhattan role, though he was not confirmed by the Senate at the time, and instead approved by the court itself. At the time, the Wall Street Journal noted the move put Clayton, who had largely avoided partisan political drama, in the middle of “partisan warfare”.
More recently, the New York Times reported that Clayton has been socializing and golfing with Trump, and that Clayton has “often been absent” from his office.
Democrats demand Trump ‘guarantee’ Pulte will not be acting intelligence director for any time at all
While Senate Democrats welcomed the nomination of Jay Clayton to the role of national intelligence director, they continued to insist that, before Clayton’s expected confirmation, the acting director must not be Bill Pulte, the political “attack dog” Donald Trump wants given full access to the nation’s secrets .
When Trump announced that he was nominating Clayton, he made no mention of also withdrawing Pulte as interim director after Tulsi Gabbard leaves this month. Clayton cannot be confirmed before Gabbard’s departure, meaning an acting director will be needed.
“Pulte has to go”, Chuck Schumer, the senior Democrat in the Senate told reporters on Thursday. “He cannot be in the DNI role. Our national security is too important.”
Hakeem Jeffries, the leader of House Democrats, also said that Trump has to “withdraw” his decision to elevate Pulte to interim intelligence director before Congress can act to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa), which allows US intelligence agencies to intercept foreign communications without a court warrant, a provision that expires on Friday.
“Under no circumstances should the American people be asked to trust their privacy and national security” to Pulte, the New York congressman told NewsNation.
Mark Warner, the vice-chair of the Senate intelligence committee agreed. “I have known and respected Jay Clayton for many years and believe he is a capable public servant”, Warner said in a statement.
“That said, let me be clear – while I am glad to see the president finally come to his senses, before the Senate can take up a FISA extension there needs to be a clear guarantee that Mr. Pulte will not serve as acting DNI”, Warner added. “Either Director Gabbard must remain in place or the administration must designate the Senate-confirmed Principal Deputy DNI as the acting head through any transition.”
Trump says Iran’s supreme leader has approved a deal to end war that could be signed this weekend
At the Oval Office event on fishing, Donald Trump just opened the floor to questions from reporters, and was asked if Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has approved the deal to end the war with the US and Israel the president said could be signed this weekend.
“I understand the answer is yes”, Trump replied.
The president was then asked if he has already secured an agreement on Iran’s nuclear material. “Yes, conceptually on that,” Trump replied.
“But has Iran committed to not pursuing a nuclear weapon, or will there be more negotiations on that down the line?” the reporter followed up.
“They will not have a nuclear weapon, they’ve agreed to that, which is the whole reason, which is a big part of the reason, maybe the biggest… they will not only not have, they will not purchase, develop in any way … a nuclear weapon,” Trump replied.
It remains to be seen whether the agreement to end the fighting does also include such a provision on Iran’s commitment to not develop or acquire a nuclear weapon, but it is worth recalling that the 2015 deal Iran struck with international powers, including the US, did include such a commitment. The first paragraph of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) included this statement: “Iran reaffirms that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons.”
Although Trump has repeatedly suggested, without evidence, that he launched this war on Iran because the Islamic Republic was about to develop a nuclear weapon, his own director on national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, told Congress last year, before the first US strikes on Iran, the US intelligence agencies “assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme leader Khomeini has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003”.
Trump claims ‘great settlement’ to be signed with Iran ‘in next few days’
Donald Trump is speaking from the Oval Office now. Right off the bat, he claims to have “made a great settlement” with Iran, which could be signed soon “maybe in Europe, over the weekend”.
He says the “finalization of documents” should happen over the next few days, adding:
We have a deal that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, which was the whole purpose of what we had to go through to get this.
The documents “are in final shape”, he says, adding the deal “should be done very quickly”.
The strait of Hormuz “will be open as soon as we sign”, he claims.
A reminder that since Trump’s Truth Social post earlier this afternoon, we’ve still had no confirmation from Iran.
The day so far
Donald Trump has nominated Jay Clayton, former head of the top US markets watchdog, to be the country’s leading intelligence official. It follows uproar over Trump’s decision to install a controversial ally, Bill Pulte, as acting director of national intelligence while searching for a permanent candidate. Clayton, former chair of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, is US attorney for the southern district of New York. “I encourage the United States Senate to confirm Jay as soon as possible,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. More on that here.
Trump “cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening”, citing apparent progress in talks. He said discussions “have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership” and “approved”, adding that the naval blockade would remain and suggested there would be a “signing” announced shortly. Over the last few months, Trump has repeatedly flip-flopped like this – claiming that a peace deal is within reach, only to threaten further strikes against Iran if it isn’t signed, and often blaming Iran’s leadership for the delays. Iranian officials, meanwhile, have steadily denied the US president’s claims that they have agreed to the terms of a potential agreement with the US. More on our dedicated live blog.
This morning, the House failed to pass a short-term extension of a powerful surveillance law amid controversy surrounding Trump’s decision to install Pulte as acting DNI. The measure failed in a 198-218 vote, after Democrats announced they would block the move to renew Fisa in protest of Pulte’s appointment. The congressional deadlock ensures section 702 of Fisa, which was enacted in the wake of 9/11 and allows US intelligence agencies to intercept foreign communications without a court warrant, will lapse on Friday. Here’s my colleague Chris Stein’s report.
And normal operations at the Pentagon resumed after going into partial lockdown earlier today. Spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement: “Earlier this morning, Pentagon occupants were notified of a potential air quality issue, prompting immediate precautionary safety measures and evaluation. Subsequent testing confirmed no hazard exists, and normal operations have resumed.”
Richard Luscombe
The final drops of water have been added, and the nanobubbler switched on. Donald Trump’s “beautiful” makeover of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool, one of Washington DC’s most historically symbolic attractions, is officially complete, and the public is getting its first glimpse of how the project’s $14.2m was spent.
Contrary to the president’s predictable assertion that it was receiving “rave reviews”, however, early impressions are decidedly mixed. Some of the first visitors declared themselves underwhelmed by the 2,000ft pool’s somewhat dull color – American flag blue, according to the specifications.
Others were bemused to see workers scraping algae from the bottom yesterday, just days after it had been filled with about 6.75m gallons (25.6m litres) of fresh water following the completion of renovation works.
Trump nominates former SEC chair Jay Clayton to be new national intelligence director
Donald Trump has announced that he is nominating Jay Clayton to become the next permanent director of national intelligence.
Clayton is currently the US attorney for the southern district of New York, and is the former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission.
He will have to be confirmed as DNI by the Senate. Trump wrote on Truth Social:
I am pleased to announce the Nomination of very Highly Respected Jay Clayton, former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the former Head of Sullivan & Cromwell, one of the most prominent and successful Law Firms anywhere in the World, and the current United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, to be the next Director of National Intelligence and, importantly, to serve in my Cabinet. Few people anywhere in the Legal Community are respected at the level of Jay. I encourage the United States Senate to confirm Jay as soon as possible.
It comes as Trump faced widespread criticism of his decision to install a controversial ally, Bill Pulte, as acting DNI while searching for a permanent candidate.
Normal operations resume at Pentagon after it went into partial lockdown earlier on Thursday
And normal operations at the Pentagon have now resumed after going into partial lockdown earlier today.
Spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement:
Earlier this morning, Pentagon occupants were notified of a potential air quality issue, prompting immediate precautionary safety measures and evaluation. Subsequent testing confirmed no hazard exists, and normal operations have resumed.
We express our sincere appreciation to the first responders for their swift actions to ensure the safety of all personnel.
Trump calls off tonight’s ‘scheduled strikes and bombings’ against Iran
A short while ago, Donald Trump announced that he has “cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening”.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform:
Based on the fact that discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved, I have, as President of the United States of America, cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening.
Discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others. The Naval Blockade will remain in full force and effect until this Transaction is finalized — Time and place of the signing to be announced shortly.
Over the last few months, Trump has repeatedly flip-flopped like this – claiming that a peace deal is within reach, only to threaten further strikes against Iran if it isn’t signed, and often blaming Iran’s leadership for the delays.
Iranian officials, meanwhile, have steadily denied the US president’s claims that they have agreed to the terms of a potential agreement with the US.
While House speaker Mike Johnson attacked the Democrats earlier for voting down the temporary renewal of Fisa’s controversial section 702 warrantless surveillance authority, it’s worth noting that 7 House Democrats voted for it and 19 Republicans voted against.
Among them was YOLO Republican Thomas Massie, who lost his primary to a Trump-backed challenger and is frequently the subject of Trump’s ire. The Kentucky representative called Fisa 702 program unconstitutional and said on X “thank goodness” the clean reauthorization failed today.
Fellow Trump targets, Lauren Boebert, of Colorado, and Chip Roy, of Texas, were also in the cohort.
