President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he’s delaying Jay Clayton’s nomination to lead the US intelligence community in a bid to force Congress to act on a voter ID bill that currently lacks enough support for passage.
Trump said in a lengthy post on his social media site that he will keep Bill Pulte, a top US housing official, as acting director of national intelligence.
Lawmakers in both parties had opposed Trump’s nomination of Pulte, citing his apparent lack of experience in the intelligence field, which essentially forced Trump to turn to Clayton.
Clayton had been set to appear on Wednesday for a Senate confirmation hearing that was fast-tracked because of the lapse of a crucial surveillance program due to bipartisan anger over Trump’s pick of Pulte.