'Disappointed' GOP senators slam Trump’s latest policy position: 'The world revolves around him'

12 April 2024

Former President Donald Trump has expressed his opposition to new FISA funding, posting "KILL FISA" on his Truth Social platform. But FBI Director Christopher Wray, addressing the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday, April 11, stressed that this is "by no means a time" to "dial back" funding for FISA and described FISA Section 702 as "indispensable in keeping Americans safe from a whole barrage of fast-moving foreign threats, indispensable in keeping Americans safe from a whole barrage of fast-moving foreign threats."

The following day, the U.S. House of Representatives, in a bipartisan 273-174 vote, approved new FISA funding.

Wray isn't the only one who vehemently disagrees with Trump's anti-FISA position. In an article published on April 12, The Hill's Alexander Bolton describes some of the Senate Republicans who are calling Trump out and favor new funding for the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978.

Bolton reports, "Republican senators are warning that the nation's spy program is about to go 'dark' and that much of the intelligence that goes into President Biden's daily briefing could be lost, putting the nation at risk for surprise attacks."

Three of the GOP senators who speaking out are members of the Senate Intelligence Committee: Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas and Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida.

Collins told The Hill, "I'm very disappointed in President Trump's assessment of FISA. It is an essential tool. It may need to be amended, but it is absolutely essential, as everyone in the intelligence community will tell you."

Cornyn told The Hill that if Congress ended Section 702's surveillance powers, "we'd go dark on a lot of threats." And Rubio told the Hill, "If we can't spy on foreign terrorists and foreign spies overseas, we're out of the intelligence business."

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) described Trump's call to "kill FISA" as "a very dangerous position."

Romney, a frequent Trump critic, told The Hill, "I know that for President Trump, much of what happens in the world, in his mind, revolves around him. But FISA is actually designed to prevent another 9/11 or worse, and it's been used extensively by our law enforcement to protect Americans. And if FISA were eliminated, American lives are going to be lost…. If there are reforms that are necessary to avoid abuse, then by all means, let's enact those reforms. But let's not throw out something that's so essential to the life and wellbeing of our citizens."

Read The Hill's full report at this link.

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