Trump’s top Senate ally Lindsey Graham breaks with president on fight over intelligence chief

Key Points:

• Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of President Trump, is publicly urging Trump to withdraw the nomination of Bill Pulte for director of national intelligence, instead supporting Jay Clayton for the role.
• Graham blames Trump for complicating the reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) by pulling Clayton’s nomination after Democrats refused to pass related legislation.
• Pulte's nomination, lacking intelligence community experience, has disrupted the bipartisan support for FISA reauthorization amid heightened security concerns during the ongoing World Cup.
• Trump has linked the passage of FISA reauthorization to his demand for voter ID legislation, a controversial move opposed by Democrats and resisted by Senate leadership.
• The relationship between Trump and Senate Republicans has soured recently, with tensions arising over primary endorsements, legislative priorities, and Trump's ceasefire terms with Iran.