Trump Indicates to Speaker Johnson He Won’t Back Down on Pulte Despite Fight over Key Surveillance Authority
Speaker Johnson meets President Trump amid concerns that Bill Pulte's controversial appointment as acting intelligence chief could derail vital national security surveillance powers.
- On Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson met with President Donald Trump to discuss Bill Pulte's controversial appointment as acting director of national intelligence, which threatens renewal of expiring surveillance powers.
- Lawmakers face a Friday deadline to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, but Pulte's lack of intelligence experience and potential for political abuse have stalled negotiations with skeptical Democrats.
- Meeting the 60-vote threshold requires support from at least seven Democrats; Senate Republicans hold a 53-47 majority. Senator Mark Warner , the top Senate Intelligence Democrat, called the passage path extremely narrow.
- Senate Majority Leader John Thune declared, "We don't need a weaponized DNI," while Senator John Barrasso urged the White House to name a confirmable professional instead of Pulte.
- The impasse highlights broader legislative struggles for the GOP, as party infighting and Trump's recent actions have consistently stalled key priorities, leaving the surveillance law in jeopardy before Friday's expiration.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Trump indicates to Speaker Johnson he won’t back down on Pulte despite fight over key surveillance authority
President Donald Trump indicated to House Speaker Mike Johnson during a meeting Tuesday that he wouldn’t back down on his decision to elevate Bill Pulte to acting director of national intelligence, despite threats from Democrats to let a key surveillance power lapse over the appointment, two sources briefed on the meeting told CNN.
Watch Speaker Visits White House as FISA, Budget Bill Hang in Balance
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) will head to the White House for a meeting Tuesday, an aide familiar confirmed, as a key spy powers tool’s expiration looms and the House GOP ramps up ambitious plans for a third party-line budget bill. Mick Mulvaney, who served as director of the Office of Management and Budget and as acting chief of staff in Trump’s first term, joined Balance of Power to discuss.
High-Stakes Meeting: US House Speaker and President Tackle Surveillance Law
US House Speaker Mike Johnson and President Donald Trump are in talks to reach an agreement on the reauthorization of an expiring foreign surveillance law. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise confirmed the meeting is intended to finalize terms concerning the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
MyCentralOregon.com
Speaker Johnson huddles with Trump to try to finalize FISA deal
U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) attends a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on May 20, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) (WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson are meeting at the White House on Tuesday as the deadline nears for Congress to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Their huddle comes as Trump’s choice of Bill Pulte to be acting director …
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