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Reporter’s Notebook: How Trump’s surprise move on DNI confirmation upended key Senate deal on FISA
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They didn’t know what to do.
Just before 4 a.m. ET on Wednesday, President Trump blindsided everyone in the U.S. Senate. In a post on Truth Social, the president declared he was «cancelling the Senate hearing» for his Director of National Intelligence nominee Jay Clayton. Moreover, the President said he would withhold Clayton’s nomination from «going forward until Jamie McDonald is approved to be U.S. Attorney.»
If confirmed, Clayton would vacate his post as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. That’s the slot for which the President is nominating McDonald.
TRUMP SAYS SENATE HEARING ON DNI NOMINEE IS CANCELED UNTIL US ATTORNEY REPLACEMENT CONFIRMED
Jay Clayton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, speaks next to Jessica S. Tisch, New York Police Department commissioner, during a press conference at NYPD headquarters following the arrest of suspects charged with igniting IEDs near Gracie Mansion, the home of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, in New York City on March 9, 2026. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid)
So what would happen with the hearing?
Lawmakers and aides scrambled as they woke to the news Wednesday morning. After all, Trump is the president. He doesn’t have the authority to cancel a Senate hearing.
«Yeah. I don’t think that’s his call,» said Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., a member of the Intelligence Committee.
One senior source told Fox News they presumed that Clayton’s confirmation hearing would forge ahead. Another told Fox the fate of the hearing was «undetermined.»
On one hand, lawmakers and aides had to first digest what was happening. Was the President withdrawing Clayton’s nomination? Was he saying he just wasn’t allowing Clayton to testify? Did the head of the executive branch really believe he could bigfoot a congressional hearing? Or was this the president flexing his political muscle, testing Senate Republicans to see how compliant they might be with his intimation — and potentially cancel the hearing on their own?
So was Clayton’s hearing on or off?
«Are we going to have an Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing today?» yours truly asked panel Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., as he slid behind a backdoor to a hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
Silence from Cotton.
SCOOP: TOP GOP SEN. COTTON TO MEET WITH EMBATTLED TRUMP DEFENSE NOMINEE AS DOUBTS SWIRL
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., arrives for a vote in the U.S. Capitol on April 30, 2025, stating the war with Iran will continue for weeks as the U.S. limits their offensive capabilities. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
«Do you know the answer?» I followed up.
«Do you think the President overstepped his bounds, saying he was canceling the hearing?» I continued.
By that point, Cotton was well behind the doorway and it closed.
«I have never seen anything quite like this,» said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., one of the longest-serving members on the Intelligence Committee in Senate history. «Everybody else is going to have to keep guessing for a while.»
It was Washington whiplash.
«Things change around here pretty quick, Chad,» quipped Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D.
But a bit later, Cotton finally weighed-in when he posted on X that the hearing would proceed. The Arkansas Republican then materialized again in the hallway, heading for an elevator bank.
«To be clear, you will proceed with the hearing and you expect Jay Clayton to be there despite what the President said?» I asked.
A steel-faced Cotton stared straight ahead at the green elevator door.
«Chad, you have our statement,» said a terse Cotton.
But an hour later, Cotton ditched the hearing after the President blocked Clayton from testifying.
«It’s regrettable that the President has directed Jay Clayton not to appear at his confirmation hearing today,» said Cotton in a new statement on X. «While today’s hearing is now unfortunately postponed, I look forward to proceeding with his confirmation in the near future.»
The stunning reversal left everyone trying to grasp what happened. And what might be next.
SPRINT TO CONFIRM TRUMP NOMINEES KICKS OFF IN JANUARY
U.S. President Donald Trump attends a morning work meeting to «revive balanced, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth for the benefit of all» in the presence of the G7 countries, partner countries, the International Monetary Fund, and the OECD, as part of the G7 summit, in Evian, eastern France, on June 17, 2026. (Ludovic MARIN / AFP via Getty Images)
«I am not sure whether Jay Clayton has simply been postponed or withdrawn,» mused Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the Vice Chairman of the Intelligence Committee. «I wonder whether Jay Clayton knows whether he has been postponed or withdrawn.»
Democrats and Republicans brokered a fragile agreement weeks ago to renew FISA Section 702. The intelligence community argues that program is the powerful tool in the American arsenal to track and combat potential terrorism. Congress repeatedly punted a full renewal for months.
But with both bodies on the precipice of reauthorizing the program, President Trump announced he would install housing czar Bill Pulte as interim DNI. Democrats balked at Pulte, noting he had no intelligence experience. Plus, they viewed him as a political hack who would run roughshod over America’s intelligence apparatus.
So Democrats pulled their support from the FISA compromise.
Most Republicans weren’t exactly enamored with Pulte, either. And those worried about the nation’s security pushed to block Pulte from entering the DNI’s office. That’s why Cotton scheduled Clayton’s confirmation hearing so quickly. It was thought that the Senate might be able to pivot after the hearing and confirm Clayton on the floor late this week or early next.
Rapid confirmation of Clayton was essential. Such a scenario would unlock Democrats’ votes to reauthorize FISA Section 702 after the program’s congressional blessing expired a week ago.
That was the plan. At least until the president initiated the firestorm over Clayton’s confirmation hearing this week.
«Another Trump victory gets upended by an impulse,» vented Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. «It’s frustrating.»
WHY TRUMP PICKED BILL PULTE TO LEAD US INTELLIGENCE AS CRITICS QUESTION HIS QUALIFICATIONS
Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., spoke to reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on April 1, 2025, before the weekly Republican Senate policy luncheon. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
But wait. There’s more.
President Trump inserted another chestnut — or hot potato — into his pre-dawn Truth Social screed. Especially if you thought the president was going to make it easy for Congress to hastily re-up FISA as soon as the Senate confirmed Clayton.
«To add a slight bit of intrigue but, for the Good of the Nation, and the People of our Country, I will not approve FISA without THE SAVE AMERICA ACT going along with it,» Trump said.
He added that his plan was for Pulte to «remain as the Acting Director of National Intelligence» and declared that «Republicans fell into a trap.»
The SAVE America Act is the touchstone of President Trump’s 2026 legislative agenda. It requires proof of citizenship to vote. However, the bill has never garnered even 50 yeas in the Senate on two previous test votes.
«We’ve got to pass the SAVE America Act and conditioning passage of FISA on the prior passage of SAVE America would be a great thing,» said Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.
Other Senate Republicans were more realistic, based on the legislative history of the SAVE America Act.
«You can’t always get what you want,» said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La. «I mean, I want a Porsche for my birthday. I’m not going to get it.»
TRUMP, THUNE CLASH ON VOTER ID ULTIMATUM AS GOP REMAINS DIVIDED ON PATH FORWARD
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said a classified briefing reinforced his view that Iran’s leaders would use a nuclear weapon if they obtained one during a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C. (Elizabeth Frantz / Reuters)
Democrats seethed about national security as Republicans squirmed.
«We had a path forward as of yesterday (on FISA) and today we don’t,» said Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz. «This has become a complete debacle and now it’s up to the White House to figure out a path forward here.»
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No one knows what’s next for Clayton. Or McDonald. Or FISA. And there’s high skepticism anything happens on the SAVE America Act. So it’s all in a cryogenic Congressional freeze.
Regardless, Clayton’s confirmation hearing never happened. Such hearings are the responsibility of the legislative branch. But by the end of the day, there was no question who canceled it.
hearings, national security, donald trump, senate elections, democrats senate, politics
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Mexican cartel boss linked to influencer’s livestreamed murder arrested, officials say
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The alleged leader of a violent Mexican criminal cell has been arrested in connection with the assassination of a mayor, while authorities say the case also produced new evidence linking his organization to the livestreamed killing of a 23-year-old influencer.
Ramón Ángel Álvarez Ayala, also known as «El R-1,» was taken into custody during a joint military and law enforcement operation, officials said.
Mexican authorities identified him as the leader of Los Rs, a criminal cell linked to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG.
Officials allege Álvarez Ayala ordered and financed the November 2025 assassination of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo. His criminal cell was also linked to the May 2025 killing of beauty influencer Valeria Márquez, whose former boyfriend is Álvarez Ayala’s son, according to authorities.
‘NARCO-TERRORIST’ FAMILY MEMBERS TARGETED IN RUBIO’S LATEST VISA CRACKDOWN
Mexican special security forces are seen alongside Ramón Ángel Álvarez Ayala after he was arrested. (SSPC – Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana)
Mexican Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch announced details of the investigation a day after the arrest.
«‘El R-1’ is identified as the main leader of Los Rs, one of the most violent criminal cells linked to the CJNG, with operations in Apatzingán, Uruapan and Morelia, Michoacán, as well as in Jalisco,» García Harfuch said in a statement posted on X.
«This organization is involved in extortion, murders and drug trafficking, directly affecting producers, business owners and families in the region,» he added.
As previously reported by Fox News Digital, Márquez, a popular TikTok creator with more than 100,000 followers, was shot and killed while livestreaming from her beauty salon in Zapopan, Jalisco.
SLAIN TIKTOK INFLUENCER’S EX BEGGED FOR YEARS TO LEAVE HUSBAND SHE OUTED AS ACCUSED PEDOPHILE
Mexican authorities say Álvarez Ayala ordered the May 2025 murder of popular beauty influencer Valeria Márquez. (@v___marquez/via Instagram)
At the time, the killing was being investigated as a femicide, a gender-based crime under Mexican law.
Video appeared to show a man entering the salon, asking, «Are you Valeria?» before handing Márquez a gift.
The man then allegedly shot her in the chest and head. Márquez collapsed on camera before another person ended the livestream, the video appeared to show.
García Harfuch said the killing was linked to Francisco, who allegedly threatened Márquez several times after their relationship ended.
«This criminal cell allegedly participated under his orders in coordinating multiple violent acts in the region. Among them is the tragic feminicide of Valeria Márquez, which occurred in May 2025 in Zapopan, Jalisco, a crime linked to Francisco, the victim’s former partner and Ramón Ángel’s son,» García Harfuch said.
DISPATCHER HEARD ‘LOUD BANG’ BEFORE TIKTOK INFLUENCER WHO OUTED ALLEGED PEDOPHILE HUSBAND FOUND DEAD: AUDIO
Ramón Ángel Álvarez Ayala, a top figure in the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) known as «El R-1,» was taken into custody following a joint military and law enforcement operation. (SSPC – Secretaría de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana)
«With yesterday’s arrest, we learned that R-1’s son had a romantic relationship with Valeria. He had threatened her on several occasions and everything indicates, and this will be proven, that the son asked his father, R-1, to carry out the feminicide,» he said, according to reports.
Álvarez Ayala is now in custody, while Francisco remains at large. Jalisco authorities have also arrested another man accused of participating in Márquez’s killing.
In addition to Márquez’s killing, Álvarez Ayala is accused of financing and orchestrating the assassination of Uruapan Mayor Carlos Manzo, who was shot during Day of the Dead celebrations in November 2025.
Manzo had been an outspoken critic of organized crime and worked to root out corruption within the local police force.
Authorities have arrested 31 people in connection with Manzo’s killing, García Harfuch said.
Álvarez Ayala is being held at the Altiplano maximum-security prison while federal prosecutors pursue charges. Investigations into both killings are ongoing.
The Treasury Department said the CJNG was «one of the most powerful cartels in the world» and imposed sanctions on more than 50 individuals and entities in Mexico linked to the organization in July.
organized crime, mexican cartel violence, world, mexico, assassinations murders
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s game plan for government-run grocery stores faced criticism Monday after a city official told reporters a «library-card-esque system» may be employed to prevent abuse of the 30% discounted markets.
Mamdani took a question from a reporter who asked about preventing bulk purchases of groceries at the artificial discount from being re-sold at MSRP or higher.
The mayor responded that the government grocery Request-for-Proposal makes clear «this is a program for New Yorkers to be able to put food on the table, not a program for people to be able to make a quick buck through reselling. I’m going to pass it over to our EDC head, Jeanny Pak, to add some additional details.»
MAMDANI’S CITY GROCERY PLAN COULD LEAVE TAXPAYERS PAYING FOR EVERY BANANA
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani holds up bananas as he speaks at a food distribution center on July 27, 2026, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
It was Pak’s follow-up that raised eyebrows, given Mamdani and many Democrats’ staunch opposition to voter ID and Republicans’ SAVE America Act moving through Congress.
«[W]e are looking to make sure that we target New Yorkers, whether it be a sort of a library card-esque thing, and also we manage who’s buying and that is focused on everyday New Yorkers,» Pak said.
«So, we are mindful of that, and so we’re going to make sure that we have all the things in place to ensure that that does not happen.»
SEN MARK WARNER CALLED OUT IN ABC INTERVIEW FOR INACCURATE VOTER ID CLAIMS
When asked about the apparent divergence between Pak’s response referencing a possible ID card-type system and opposition to voter ID, a Mamdani spokesperson said it was an apples-to-oranges contrast.
«Comparisons to voter ID laws or the SAVE Act simply do not apply. This is not an identification system, nor is it a mechanism to verify who someone is, where they live, or how much they earn,» Mamdani’s spokesperson said.
«It is a practical inventory management tool to ensure affordable groceries remain available for the people who need them instead of being cleared off shelves for resale.»
EXPERTS SCORCH MAMDANI’S GROCERY PLAN AS AN ‘ILLUSION’ THAT WILL HAVE TAXPAYERS FOOTING THE BILL
The spokesperson pointed to the mayor’s comments specifically regarding bulk-buying concerns, saying that was the premise of the reporter’s question — not whether people from Pennsylvania, New Jersey or upstate New York would be able to shop at the subsidized outlets.
«To be absolutely clear: NYC Grocery stores will be open to everyone,» the spokesperson said.
«There will be no system to verify identity, residency, or income, and no one will be asked to show ID to shop.»
Instead of an «ID,» the spokesperson said the stores may employ a «customer card» similar to loyalty programs at other grocers like ShopRite, Food Lion or Weis.
The «customer card» would be designed by the «private operator» of the city-run store to «help manage supply and prevent people from buying large quantities of discounted staples for resale» and is strictly intended to «make sure the savings reach families putting food on the table.»
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La Marqueta, a Latino marketplace in East Harlem, is chosen as the site of the first city-owned grocery store announced by NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, on April 14, 2026. (Kendall Rodriguez/Newsday RM/Getty Images)
Customers will not need to apply through City Hall or any agency, the spokesperson added.
Critics were unconvinced.
«ID for government cheese,» said Philadelphia radio host Rich Zeoli.
«After all, we have to make sure no one crosses the border and if they do, the police will be called. So it’s good to see Mamdani now supports ID (just not for voting), border control, and law enforcement,» Zeoli tweeted.
Former Texas congressional candidate Nick Plumb commented on X that «Mamdani wants to protect taxpayer funded grocery store[s] from non-NYC residents they’ll need an ID card to enter. You can[t] make this up.»
Former Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, a supporter of voter ID who also opposed the Old Dominion’s recent failed attempt to redraw congressional lines to Democrats’ advantage, also criticized the mayor.
«So let me get this straight: Taxpayer-funded grocery store? Better show a valid ID or you can’t buy milk,» Miyares said.
«Voting for the people who decide how those taxes get spent? A valid ID is somehow ‘racist’ and ‘oppressive’. Unbelievable,» he said.
When asked whether the mayor’s office believed the loyalty card system constituted a form of identification, a Mamdani spokesperson directed Fox News Digital to a paragraph in the Request for Proposal (RFP) that prospective store operators must follow:
«The Operator(s) will create a voluntary free-to-access membership card program to monitor sales activity, and implement the discount program and any associated demand management measures. The savings card shall not be required for physical access to N.Y.C. Groceries site(s) and shall be made easily available to any individual requesting one,» the section read.
«Make it make sense,» added FOX News host Sean Hannity.
New York Republican Congresswoman Claudia Tenney added: «So ID for government grocery stores to stop people abusing the system is fine, but requiring ID to vote not? Got it.»
SAVE Act supporter Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., added on X that the hypocrisy must «stop.»
«Democrats: Are fighting to ensure you don’t have to show an ID before voting in our elections. Also Democrats: Want you to show an ID before entering a supermarket.»
«Oh, the irony is too much,» said X CEO Elon Musk.
zohran mamdani, state and local, domestic policies, grocery deals, new york city, socialism, voter fraud concerns, voting
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