Trump Cancels Jay Clayton's DNI Confirmation Hearing, Delaying FISA Reauthorization President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced he would cancel the Senate confirmation hearing for U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton, who was nominated to become the director of national intelligence. The Senate Intelligence Committee subsequently canceled the hearing, which had been scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. The move has raised concerns about the potential delay in reauthorizing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a critical intelligence-gathering authority that expired last week. The president’s decision to cancel the hearing came hours before its scheduled start time, as detailed in a social media post. Trump cited multiple grievances, including his belief that acting DNI Bill Pulte would not be allowed to serve in the role and that Clayton’s successor in the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, had not yet been confirmed. In the post, Trump stated that the hearing would be postponed until McDonald’s nomination was approved, with Pulte remaining as acting director. Senate Intelligence Committee ranking member Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, criticized the move as an “extraordinary display of dysfunction.” Warner suggested that Trump might withdraw Clayton’s nomination despite its bipartisan support, raising questions about whether Clayton’s status had been postponed or withdrawn. “I wonder whether Jay Clayton knows whether he has been postponed or withdrawn,” Warner remarked during a press conference. The delay in Clayton’s confirmation poses a significant risk to the reauthorization of Section 702, which enables warrantless surveillance of communications involving national security threats.#president_donald_trump #mark_warner #senate_intelligence_committee #jay_clayton #section_702
Tulsi Gabbard Resigns as National Intelligence Director, Citing Husband’s Health Tulsi Gabbard, the former national intelligence director under President Donald Trump, has resigned from her post, citing the need to care for her husband, Abraham, who has been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. Her resignation, effective June 30, 2026, marks the fourth Cabinet-level departure during Trump’s second term. In a statement posted on the social media platform X, Gabbard wrote, “Unfortunately, I must submit my resignation… My husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer.” Gabbard’s resignation comes amid ongoing tensions within the Trump administration, particularly following the U.S. military strikes on Iran in February 2026. The operation, which was widely criticized for its potential escalation of regional conflict, led to internal divisions. Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii known for her opposition to foreign wars, faced scrutiny during a congressional hearing in March 2026 when she avoided answering questions about whether the White House had been warned of potential fallout from the Iran conflict. Her departure also follows the resignation of Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, who had previously criticized the Iran strikes. Kent resigned in March 2026, stating he could not “in good conscience” support the war. Gabbard’s own actions in the past have drawn attention, including her revocation of security clearances for dozens of U.S. officials in 2025. In a memo, she accused them of “politicizing or weaponizing intelligence” to advance personal or partisan goals, failing to safeguard classified information, and violating professional standards.#donald_trump #tulsi_gabbard #abraham_gabbard #national_intelligence_director #senate_intelligence_committee
