Trump Pressures Senate Republicans on Intelligence Leadership

President Trump is pressuring Senate Republicans over his intelligence leadership plans, delaying the confirmation of his nominee for director of national intelligence while installing Bill Pulte in a temporary role.

The move has drawn criticism from several Democrats, including Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., a former CIA analyst.

Slotkin told NPR's Morning Edition that Trump's stated rationale for installing Pulte is "exactly why Pulte should never" serve as director of national intelligence. She argued that Trump wants Pulte to weaponize the intelligence community in service of his claims about the 2020 election.

Slotkin also pointed to Pulte's current role overseeing federal housing programs, arguing he has already used access to government records to target people Trump views as political opponents.

"The idea that he won't do the exact same thing in the DNI office, but with more tools, is just folly," she said.

The Michigan senator, a frequent Trump critic, also criticized the president's threat to block reauthorization of a section of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, calling it "cutting off your nose to spite your face."

"The president's primary responsibility is to protect against foreign threats," Slotkin said. "As someone who was a CIA analyst and wrote the presidential daily brief for the president on the topics I was covering, this is important information to get right."

Listen to the full interview by clicking on the blue play button above.