Bill Pulte To Be Sworn In as America’s Top Spy To Boost Trump’s Legislative Agenda

President Trump on Friday will kick off his biggest pressure campaign yet of his second term as he installs Bill Pulte to serve as the acting Director of National Intelligence. In doing so, he is trying to twist Republican senators’ arms to force them to take up parts of his legislative agenda. The announcement that Mr. Pulte would take over as America’s top spy was met with shock on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers raised questions about his qualifications, his temperament, and his commitment to upholding the law. Even Senator Tom Cotton — the chairman of the Intelligence Committee and a top ally of the president — declined to defend the appointment of Mr. Pulte. Mr. Pulte made a name for himself as the brains behind multiple investigations into Mr. Trump’s foes. Mr. Pulte’s decision to dig through mortgage records led directly to criminal investigations into Senator Adam Schiff, then-Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell, and New York attorney general Letitia James. Now, Mr. Trump is hoping Mr. Pulte will look into “rigged elections” during his stint at the DNI’s office. Democrats have raised concerns about Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s decision to be present at an FBI search of Fulton County, Georgia’s election records office. The FBI had opened an investigation into allegations that the 2020 presidential election results in the county were falsified — allegations which have never been corroborated, despite Mr. Trump’s insistence. Just 48 hours ago, Mr. Pulte was not expected to serve in the DNI role for more than a few days, if he was even sworn in at all. Senators of both parties began moving at a breakneck pace to confirm Mr. Trump’s nominee to be full-time DNI, Jay Clayton, who currently serves as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and previously served as chairman of the FEC. Mr. Clayton was supposed to have his confirmation hearing on Wednesday, though Mr. Trump told Mr. Clayton to ditch the event early Wednesday morning, much to the surprise of many Republicans. Mr. Cotton called the decision “regrettable.”The reason Mr. Trump told Mr. Clayton to hold back is because he wants to put pressure on Senate Republicans to take up his SAVE America Act — a bill to require proof of citizenship and photo ID before voting. Mr. Trump wants a severe restriction on mail voting, a requirement that transgender athletes compete in leagues designated for their respect sexes, and a ban on transgender surgeries and hormone therapies for minors. The Senate has tried to pass the SAVE America Act on multiple occasions, though because the bill is subject to the 60-vote threshold in the chamber, it has never come close to passing. On the last attempt to pass the bill which included the mail voting restrictions, a majority of the Senate — including four Republicans — voted against the measure. Mr. Trump is also using Mr. Pulte as a kind of threat against Democrats who have been blocking a reauthorization of America’s warrantless spy powers, known as FISA Section 702, which is used to surveil foreign nationals. Mr. Trump says he wants Republicans and Democrats to put the SAVE America Act and Section 702 into one bill, and later confirm Jamie McDonald as the new U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, before he agrees to put up Mr. Clayton for the DNI position. Mr. Cotton himself has admitted that Mr. Trump’s plan is not going to work. “The reality is, we don’t have 50 votes for [the SAVE America Act] right now as it’s written, much less 60 votes,” Mr. Cotton said during a Fox News appearance on Thursday. Democrats, too, are not interested in Mr. Trump’s pressure campaign. “This is not Senate Democrats versus Senate Republicans,” the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, Senator Mark Warner, said at a press conference Wednesday, referring to the current dynamic. “This is a careless White House [and] a president that is treating our national security with complete disdain.”

Bill Pulte To Be Sworn In as America’s Top Spy To Boost Trump’s Legislative Agenda

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