Trump ties FISA renewal to his stalled voting bill
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President Trump in New York City on June 9. Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
President Trump is demanding Congress attach his sweeping voting overhaul to legislation renewing a key U.S. surveillance authority.
Why it matters: Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is among the government's most contested surveillance authorities, long opposed by privacy advocates and supported by security hawks. Its fate now hinges on Trump's unrelated demands for a voting bill.
Driving the news: In a Truth Social posts Sunday, Trump tied renewal of Section 702 to the SAVE America Act, his stalled bill requiring proof of citizenship to register and photo ID to cast a ballot.
- "I'm against FISA if it doesn't come with The Save America Act (Full version!) firmly attached to it," Trump wrote in one post.
- He also defended his controversial pick of Bill Pulte, a MAGA enforcer and housing regulator with no national security experience, as acting director of national intelligence.
Between the lines: Trump had appeared to defuse the fight by naming Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton as his permanent nominee. But on Sunday, he slammed Republicans for "moving too fast on nominations!!!" to replace Pulte.
- Clayton has a confirmation hearing set for Wednesday.
Catch up quick: Section 702 lapsed Friday for the first time since the program began in 2008. The House failed to extend it following a 198–218 vote, with 19 Republicans joining Democrats to block the law.
- The law allows the government to surveil foreigners abroad, and, in the process, sweep up and search Americans' communications when they're in contact with those targets.
- Conservatives, led by Reps. Thomas Massie and Chip Roy and Sen. Mike Lee, have pushed unsuccessfully to require warrants for searches involving Americans.
The big picture: The FISA fight is now another front in Trump's yearlong push for stricter voting laws, a campaign that has increasingly targeted his own party's senators. He has pressured Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to scrap the filibuster and pass the bill on a party-line vote, even as Thune has said the votes "aren't there."
- The SAVE America Act drew 50 votes earlier this month but couldn't clear the 60-vote threshold.
- Supporters say the law ensures only citizens cast ballots and bolsters confidence in elections.
- Critics warn the new rules would block millions of eligible Americans from voting.
Reality check: Audits and studies by election officials and researchers have found noncitizen voting, which is already illegal and carries severe penalties, is rare.
What they're saying: Thune and other Republican senators have refused to vouch for Pulte, who has used his housing post to send criminal referrals against Trump's perceived enemies.
- "We don't need a weaponized DNI," Thune told reporters.
- Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle worried what Pulte could do with FISA's expansive warrantless spy powers.
