Also Trump has overruled Thune and is back to insisting that his lackey Pulte is the nominee for Director of National intelligence.
Trouble in Paradise.
From NYT:
Mr. Trump blindsided his supposed allies in the Senate on Wednesday with a rocket of a social media post from across the Atlantic, tying together a host of his pet peeves about the Senate while yanking his new nominee for national intelligence director from his confirmation hearing just hours before it was to occur.
It was an extraordinary move from a president whose own party controls the chamber, but just the latest sign of a major rupture between Mr. Trump and G.O.P. senators as the midterm elections approach.
Mr. Trump’s abrupt announcement pulled the rug out from under the carefully laid plans of Senator John Thune, the South Dakota Republican and majority leader, who had been toiling to clean up yet another mess the president created for his party last week when he named his loyalist Bill Pulte to serve as the director of national intelligence.
Mr. Thune had been moving expeditiously to confirm Jay Clayton for the post to avoid an ugly confrontation over the temporary installation of Mr. Pulte, who is opposed by members of both parties.
Mr. Thune’s plan was working — Democrats who have almost uniformly opposed Mr. Trump’s nominees suggested they would cooperate with the rapid confirmation of Mr. Clayton — until the president stepped in.
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Mr. Thune has also shown more willingness in recent days to push back against Mr. Trump no matter the fallout — a development that no doubt does not sit well with the president.
Senate Republicans privately suggested that Mr. Trump’s ire could have been fueled by Mr. Thune’s rush to join with Democrats to circumvent the possibility of Mr. Pulte’s serving even a day as national intelligence director — a direct challenge to Mr. Trump’s discretion to pick the top members of his team.
Whatever the reason, Senate Republicans said the discord was very unsettling.
“The president has put Leader Thune in a very difficult position,” said Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine. “When there are posts in the middle of the night asking for a total change in direction, it makes committees very chaotic.”
Asked to describe the dynamic between the White House and Senate Republicans at the moment, Senator Thom Tillis, Republican of North Carolina, replied, “Less than optimal.”
“I think it’s a bad move,” Mr. Tillis said of the president’s decision to delay the confirmation hearing. He criticized Mr. Pulte as a “sycophant” and said Trump’s actions were “undermining our ability to produce the results that he wants.”
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