President Trump announced early Wednesday that he is postponing Jay Clayton’s confirmation hearing to become Director of National Intelligence, citing disputes over the renewal of a key surveillance program and the lack of support for voter ID legislation.

In a lengthy Truth Social post, Trump said he was canceling Clayton’s confirmation hearing, which had been scheduled for Wednesday. He accused Democrats of backing away from what he described as an agreement to support renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a powerful intelligence-gathering authority that recently lapsed.

Trump claimed Republicans had agreed to remove Bill Pulte as Acting Director of National Intelligence in exchange for Democratic support for renewing FISA. However, he said Democrats are now opposing the measure after Republicans moved ahead with Clayton’s nomination.

The president also tied his support for renewing FISA to passage of the SAVE AMERICA Act, legislation that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and voter identification at the polls.

Trump further stated that he does not want Clayton to leave his current position as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York until his proposed successor, former federal prosecutor and Trump attorney Jamie McDonald, receives Senate approval.

As a result, Trump said Pulte will remain Acting Director of National Intelligence and that Clayton’s confirmation process will be delayed.

The dispute centers on Section 702 of FISA, which allows the government to collect intelligence on foreign nationals overseas without obtaining warrants. The program has faced criticism from both conservative and liberal privacy advocates, who argue it can result in the collection of communications involving Americans.

Democrats have expressed concerns about Pulte’s role as acting intelligence chief, while several Democratic leaders have indicated support for Clayton’s nomination. Senate Democrats have also argued that Trump’s decision to appoint Pulte made bipartisan negotiations over renewing the surveillance authority significantly more difficult.

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