Trump mulls executive order on spy powers: ‘Let’s see what happens’

President Trump suggested Thursday that an executive order could be used to extend Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) after Congress failed to pass a temporary extension of the program.

“Congress wants me to do it,” Trump said in the Oval Office after being asked by The Hill if an executive order were something he would consider.

“Let’s see what happens,” he said. “It’s very important for our military.”

Both the House and Senate failed to renew Section 702 of FISA Thursday over concerns from Democrats over Trump’s controversial pick of Bill Pulte to lead the intelligence community.

The spy powers are slated to expire Friday at midnight.

However, it’s not clear Trump has the authority to extend Section 702 by executive order, and any lapse of Section 702 would plunge the country into a legal gray area.

While some lawmakers, like House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), said they’d spoken with the........

© The Hill