Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat and former CIA analyst, criticized President Donald Trump’s move to derail a Senate confirmation hearing for his nominee to lead U.S. intelligence while keeping Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte in an acting role.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin, a Michigan Democrat who previously worked as a CIA analyst, criticized President Donald Trump’s decision to upend a scheduled Senate confirmation hearing for his pick to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), saying the White House was using the vacancy to gain leverage in a separate legislative fight. (apnews.com)
Trump said he was delaying the process for his nominee, Jay Clayton, hours before Clayton was set to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee, a move that renewed tensions with lawmakers of both parties who had been trying to move the nomination forward. (apnews.com)
Slotkin argued that the episode was tied to pressure on Congress to act on Trump’s voting-related proposal, and she questioned the administration’s rationale for elevating Bill Pulte—currently the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency—to serve as acting director of national intelligence despite his lack of intelligence experience. (axios.com)
In her criticism, Slotkin pointed to Pulte’s record in housing oversight and said she was concerned that an acting intelligence chief could use the office in ways that target political opponents. Other Democrats have raised similar concerns, while some Republicans have also voiced discomfort with what they describe as the potential politicization of the intelligence role. (warner.senate.gov)
Slotkin also faulted Trump’s position on renewing a key foreign surveillance authority—Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act—warning that using the provision as a bargaining chip could undermine U.S. efforts to monitor foreign threats. Trump has publicly linked the surveillance renewal fight to his broader legislative demands, including his voting bill. (axios.com)
