President Trump’s surprise move on his Director of National Intelligence nominee Jay Clayton has upended a key Senate deal on FISA. In a post on Truth Social, the president declared he was ‘cancelling the Senate hearing’ for Clayton’s nomination. Moreover, the President said he would withhold Clayton’s nomination from ‘going forward until Jamie McDonald is approved to be U.S. Attorney.’

Senate Reaction

Lawmakers and aides scrambled to understand the implications of the president’s decision. ‘Yeah. I don’t think that’s his call,’ said Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., a member of the Intelligence Committee. The fate of the hearing was ‘undetermined,’ according to one senior source.

The president’s move has put the Senate’s plan to renew FISA Section 702 in jeopardy. Democrats had brokered a fragile agreement with Republicans to renew the program, but the president’s announcement has thrown the deal into doubt. ‘We had a path forward as of yesterday (on FISA) and today we don’t,’ said Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.

What’s Next

The future of Clayton’s nomination and the FISA deal remains uncertain. The president has also inserted another condition into the mix, saying he will not approve FISA without the passage of the SAVE America Act, which requires proof of citizenship to vote. ‘You can’t always get what you want,’ said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La. ‘I mean, I want a Porsche for my birthday. I’m not going to get it.’

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.