Trump delays Jay Clayton's nomination for intel director to try to push Congress on voting bill

President Donald Trump says he’s delaying Jay Clayton’s nomination to lead the U.S. intelligence community in a bid to force Congress to act on a voter ID bill that currently lacks enough support for passage

US President Trump attends a morning work meeting to "revive balanced, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth for the benefit of all" in the presence of the G7 countries, partner countries, the International Monetary Fund, and the OECD, as part of the G7 summit, in Evian, eastern France, on June 17, 2026. G7 leaders will discuss on June 17, 2026, the security risks posed by AI and social media on the last day of a summit dominated by US the President, before host French President dines with his US counterpart at the Palace of Versailles. The three-day summit of the leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan,B ritain and the United States has focused intensely on the US' deal to end the war with Iran and efforts to pressure Russia into brokering peace with Ukraine.LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he’s delaying Jay Clayton’s nomination to lead the U.S. 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 U.S. 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.