Trump’s latest threat risks 'nightmare national security hat trick': Fox reporter

President Donald Trump’s inability to guarantee America’s FISA Section 702 program, which it uses to fight terrorists and other national security threats, is a “nightmare,” according to a Fox News reporter.

“There’s the World Cup,” wrote Fox News’ Chad Pergram on Monday. “America’s 250th birthday. And the conflict with Iran. It’s all a nightmare national security hat trick.”

Pergram went on to quote Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin’s recent Fox News Sunday interview saying that the terrorism threat level is “the highest we’ve ever seen. When I say we arrest terrorists every single week, I’m not exaggerating. Those aren’t the individuals that are coming across our border, those are individuals that are still inside this country."

FISA Section 702 expired over the weekend because Republicans linked it to the confirmation of Bill Pulte as Director of National Intelligence. Pulte had no experience in national security and frequently presented himself as a political fixer for Trump, so Democrats blocked the bill so that way it would not lead to Pulte’s confirmation.

"I hope and pray to God that nothing happens in this country where an American is killed," Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) said. Similarly Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) said, “We want to prevent the next 9/11 from happening.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), "This program goes dark at a time when there are literally hundreds of thousands of people coming to this country for the World Cup.”

By contrast, some senators are arguing that the legislation creating FISA keeps the program functional even after its authorization expires.

"Data can still be collected for a year after it expires. So I don't think it's as dire as some think it is," Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) argued. Similarly Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) said that “(FISA) will not lapse. I try to make this clear. The statute makes it clear that the authorities of FISA are going to be positive and enforceable for the remainder of this year. We think, until March of next year.” Likewise Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) said that "FISA is operative until next March. That's the legislation.”

George Croner, a former National Security Agency counsel, said that "It's a very inopportune time to allow the authorizing statute for 702 to lapse. It has proven to be the most useful by far of any of the intelligence programs that the community has available to it."

On Sunday, Axios journalist Andrew Pantazi reported that “Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is among the government's most contested surveillance authorities, long opposed by privacy advocates and supported by security hawks” and yet its future “hinges on Trump's unrelated demands for a voting bill.”

"I'm against FISA if it doesn't come with The Save America Act (Full version!) firmly attached to it," Trump recently wrote in a social media post. He also defended choosing Pulte, although reports indicate he is searching for a replacement.

“Congressional Republicans are largely leaving it to the administration to figure out a path forward after Trump’s decision to tap Pulte as Tulsi Gabbard’s temporary successor derailed an earlier agreement to extend the key spy authority for three years,” Politico reported on Monday. “But they are also nudging the administration to pick a different nominee to fill the role in a permanent capacity. Pulte is among the subjects Speaker Mike Johnson is expected to discuss with Trump at the White House Tuesday, according to two people granted anonymity to disclose plans for the private meeting.”

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