The Senate postponed a confirmation hearing for the intelligence chief after Trump called for a delay.
The delay affected Jay Clayton’s nomination for intelligence director.
Trump said the intelligence chief pick's hearing was off and that Bill Pulte would remain for now.
President Trump announced Wednesday that federal prosecutor Jay Clayton would not be testifying before a Senate panel of lawmakers as part of his confirmation process to be director of national intelligence.
Sen. John Thune signaled deep uncertainty Thursday over the fate of Clayton’s nomination and said its future was essentially up to President Trump, adding that when asked whether the nomination was being withdrawn he pointed to the White House and saying, "I've never been asked to slow a nomination down before."
Thune said the acting director is set to start Friday and that he believes the president is "very committed to Bill Pulte," and he added, "I don't have good answers for these questions ... We are just executing or trying to execute on what they had asked us to."
Trump's early-morning Truth Social post Wednesday caught Republicans off-guard and frustrated GOP senators who worry he is undercutting their efforts to pass a legislative agenda and help their party's chances in the midterms.
Thune said Trump has fumed over Senate Republicans' inability to pass the SAVE America Act, an elections overhaul that he said does not have 50 votes much less the 60 needed to defeat a Democratic filibuster, and added, "We're going to do everything we can to work — as I've said before — in a constructive way on an agenda, but it's going to be an agenda that we can get the votes to pass."
The action also blew up a spy bill after Senate Republicans said no to voter ID legislation.
The move upended a careful compromise on the intelligence chief and plunged the GOP into disarray.
At the same time, Senate Republicans have shown reluctance to move on a $350 billion reconciliation bill the president is seeking to fund the military, saying they do not see a path to marshal 50 votes.
Thune said he expects senators to be briefed early next week on a memorandum of understanding signed by Trump on Wednesday and that he needs "to learn more about" a $300 billion reconstruction fund included in the agreement.