Trump sticks with Pulte, leaving FISA renewal hanging a day before deadline

Now to a growing fight over national security, surveillance, and President Trump's choice to temporarily lead the nation's intelligence agencies

With a key spying program set to expire tomorrow, Trump is doubling down on his decision to install federal housing chief Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence

The president pushed back Wednesday against critics in both parties, accusing Democrats of holding national security hostage and confirming that Pulte will take over the office next week while the search continues for a permanent nominee

In a post on Truth Social, Trump also said he wants Pulte to begin downsizing the office of the director of national intelligence and return staff to their home agencies

The controversy is now threatening the future of Section 702 of FISA, a surveillance program that allows U.S. intelligence agencies to collect communications from foreign targets overseas

Congressional leaders from both parties have warned that if the law expires Friday investigators could lose access to a tool they say has helped disrupt terrorist plots and track foreign threats It important that that program does not go dark on Friday when it expires because just understand FISA has been used time and time again to stop

terrorist attacks here on our homeland, on American soil, to prevent terrorist attacks

And that's a critical, critical tool that we need to renew. Democrats say the problem isn't FISA

it's Pulte. House intelligence Democrats are demanding a full security review of Pulte

writing in a letter to Trump Wednesday, quote, never has a person with so little experience

or understanding had at their fingertips the sources and methods of the intelligence community

And then Donald Trump, as he often does, tosses a hand grenade into those sensitive negotiations

by elevating Bill Pulte as a director of national intelligence. someone who's a political hack, a malignant clown, and he's woefully unqualified to serve in any

position in the federal government. Republican leaders are now trying to pass a short-term

extension to keep the program alive, while Trump chooses a permanent intelligence chief