U.S. President Donald Trump [AP=Yonhap News]U.S. President Donald Trump on the 17th (local time) linked the passage of his priority "Voter ID Act" (SAVE America Act) in Congress with the extension of the "Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) Section 702," also known as the foreign wiretapping law.

While visiting France for the G7 summit, President Trump told reporters at a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Évian-les-Bains, France, "I will not sign FISA unless [the Voter ID Act] is completed."

President Trump, who has argued that the opposition Democratic Party has been committing election fraud by exploiting the existing voting system, considers the Voter ID Act a decisive card for a guaranteed victory in the U.S. midterm elections in November and has been pressuring Republican leaders in Congress to pass it.

The bill's core provisions include requiring voters to present identification and proof of citizenship when voting, and prohibiting absentee voting except for reasons such as military service, illness, disability, or travel. It also includes bans on transgender individuals participating in women's sports and on gender reassignment surgery for minors.

Recently, Republican leadership in the Senate attempted to include the bill, which faces strong opposition from Democrats, in a "budget reconciliation package" that would allow it to pass without a filibuster if it receives a simple majority. However, this attempt was blocked by a decision from Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth McDonough, who ruled it contrary to Senate procedures. President Trump strongly criticized McDonough on the 8th and urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to dismiss her immediately.

In a social media post on his platform Truth Social early this morning Eastern Time, President Trump reiterated that he would not approve FISA unless the Voter ID Act is passed concurrently.

FISA Section 702 authorizes intelligence agencies to collect and review communications data, such as emails and phone calls, of foreigners outside the U.S. from telecommunications companies without a court warrant. A bill to temporarily extend this provision was rejected in the House of Representatives on the 11th, with Democrats leading the opposition.

In addition, President Trump announced that he would cancel the Senate confirmation hearing for his nominee for Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Jay Clayton, a former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, who was scheduled to step down on the 19th.

He abruptly announced the postponement of the hearing for nominee Clayton by the Senate Intelligence Committee, which was scheduled for that afternoon. He asserted that William Lietzau, the current head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, who lacks experience in intelligence and security and faces opposition within the Republican party, would be appointed as acting DNI when the position becomes vacant in two days.

He also stated that he would not proceed with the confirmation process for nominee Clayton until his successor, Jamie McDonald, a former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, receives Senate confirmation.

However, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton (Republican, Arkansas) rejected President Trump's request to postpone the hearing, stating on X (formerly Twitter) that "the hearing will proceed as scheduled unless the President directs him not to attend or withdraws the nomination."