Senate Hearing for Trump's DNI Nominee Jay Clayton Scheduled Amid Confusion

Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) stated that the confirmation hearing for President Trump's nominee for director of national intelligence, Jay Clayton, is still scheduled for Wednesday, despite President Trump's earlier claim that it was canceled. Cotton, who chairs the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, indicated that the hearing would proceed unless directed otherwise by the president. Clayton, currently the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, was nominated in an effort to ease tensions between the White House and Senate Republicans. Early Wednesday, Trump announced via social media that Clayton's hearing would not move forward until his new pick for U.S. attorney, James McDonald, was approved. Trump also mentioned that Bill Pulte would serve as acting director in the meantime. The White House referred to Trump's social media post when asked for comments regarding the hearing. Additionally, Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) criticized the president for what he described as dysfunction in the national security process, emphasizing that it should not be influenced by social media.