Trump cancels Senate hearing for DNI nominee Jay Clayton

President Donald Trump announced early Wednesday on Truth Social that the Senate confirmation hearing for his Director of National Intelligence nominee, Jay Clayton, would be cancelled. The decision was linked to his demand that Jamie McDonald be confirmed as U.S. Attorney first.

The move threw the Senate into confusion, with Intelligence Committee members questioning the president’s authority. Senator Martin Heinrich said, “Yeah. I don’t think that’s his call,” while Senator Ron Wyden called the episode “something I have never seen before.” Chairman Tom Cotton initially asserted the hearing would go ahead, then later confirmed the cancellation, adding, “Chad, you have our statement.” Other senators, including Mark Warner and Kevin Cramer, expressed uncertainty over whether the hearing was merely postponed or withdrawn.

The cancellation jeopardized a fragile bipartisan agreement to reauthorize FISA Section 702 and tied the issue to the SAVE America Act, a controversial voter‑identification measure, further heightening legislative tensions.