By David Morgan
WASHINGTON, June 17 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's derailment of a U.S. Senate plan to pass a key national security bill this week is only the latest example of a growing rift with Senate Republicans, who are more willing to defy the commander-in-chief in the run-up to the November midterm elections.
Aiming to protect his controversial choice of loyalist Bill Pulte as acting U.S. spy chief, Trump forced the Senate Intelligence Committee to postpone a confirmation hearing for U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, his permanent nominee for director of national security, who Republicans had hoped to fast-track into the job.
"He made a colossal mistake," Republican Senator Thom Tillis said of the president's move. "It's undermining our ability to produce the very results he wants."
It was the latest in a series of actions by Trump that have upended Senate Republican plans to move major legislation intended to forward his agenda. Last month, his announcement of a $1.8 billion "antiweaponization" fund to compensate political allies who claim to have been victimized by federal authorities stalled a $70 billion bill to fund his immigration crackdown.
WASHINGTON, June 17 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's derailment of a U.S. Senate plan to pass a key national security bill this week is only the latest example of a growing rift with Senate Republicans, who are more willing to defy the commander-in-chief in the run-up to the November midterm elections.
Aiming to protect his controversial choice of loyalist Bill Pulte as acting U.S. spy chief, Trump forced the Senate Intelligence Committee to postpone a confirmation hearing for U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, his permanent nominee for director of national security, who Republicans had hoped to fast-track into the job.
"He made a colossal mistake," Republican Senator Thom Tillis said of the president's move. "It's undermining our ability to produce the very results he wants."
It was the latest in a series of actions by Trump that have upended Senate Republican plans to move major legislation intended to forward his agenda. Last month, his announcement of a $1.8 billion "antiweaponization" fund to compensate political allies who claim to have been victimized by federal authorities stalled a $70 billion bill to fund his immigration crackdown.
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