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Senate postpones Clayton's confirmation hearing after Trump upends plans for quick vote
CBS News • • nation
Key Points:
- The Senate postponed Jay Clayton's confirmation hearing as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) following President Trump's last-minute directive to delay the process until a replacement for the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York is approved.
- Despite initial plans by Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton and Senate Majority Leader John Thune to proceed, the hearing was postponed after Trump publicly canceled it on Truth Social.
- The delay disrupted efforts to resolve a deadlock over the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which Democrats opposed under the acting DNI Bill Pulte due to concerns over his qualifications and political investigations.
- Clayton, a respected former SEC chair and current U.S. Attorney known for prosecuting white-collar crimes, had bipartisan support in the Senate before the sudden postponement.
- Democratic leaders criticized the White House for reckless handling of national security matters, with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer condemning Trump for undermining Republican efforts to move forward with the nomination.
