2/27/2020

INTELLIGENCE/LEGISLATION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Donald Trump told Sen. Rand Paul that he does not support a clean extension of expiring surveillance authorities, throwing the future of the program into doubt ahead of a fast-approaching March 15 deadline to reup key features of the Patriot Act. The Kentucky Republican told reporters that Trump made the comments to him on Wednesday [2-26-20], just a day after Attorney General William Barr told GOP senators that Congress should extend the expiring provisions regarding roving wire taps, lone wolf actors and the most controversial provision: call data collection. Asked about the discrepancy between his conversation with Trump and Barr’s remarks to senators, Paul said there was ‘misinformation that got out from some people in the administration’ about the expiring surveillance authorities.”

Burgess Everett, “Rand Paul and Trump thrust fate of surveillance law into doubt,” Politico, February 27, 2020 2:54 pm