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President Donald Trump has called for the extension of the FISA Section 702, urging lawmakers to come together and “UNIFY” as it goes before the House Rules Committee.
“I am working very hard with our Great Speaker, Mike Johnson, along with Chairman Jim Jordan and Chairman Rick Crawford, to get a clean extension of FISA 702 through the House of Representatives this week,” the president wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday.
This may come as a surprise to many Americans, because President Trump has previously criticized FISA.
“KILL FISA, IT WAS ILLEGALLY USED AGAINST ME, AND MANY OTHERS,” he wrote in April 2024. “THEY SPIED ON MY CAMPAIGN!!!”
His call to extend it seems like quite the reversal, but he explained his stance in his Wednesday statement.
“When the Dirty Cop, James Comey, the failed Head of the FBI went after me, he was using FISA Title I, the Domestic Collection, not FISA 702, the Foreign Collection, which needs to be extended today,” the president wrote.
He continued, “While parts of FISA were illegally and unfortunately used against me in the Democrats’ disgraceful Witch Hunt and Attack in the RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA Hoax, and perhaps would be used against me in the future, I am willing to risk the giving up of my Rights and Privileges as a Citizen for our Great Military and Country! Our Military Patriots desperately need FISA 702, and it is one of the reasons we have had such tremendous SUCCESS on the battlefield.”
FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) allows U.S. intelligence agencies to collect, analyze, and share foreign intelligence related to national security threats. Section 702, which President Trump is specifically referring to in his statement, authorizes “targeted intelligence collection of specific types of foreign intelligence information – such as information concerning international terrorism or the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction – identified by the Attorney General and the Director of National Intelligence.”
According to the act, it only allows the targeting of “non-United States persons who are reasonably believed to be located outside the United States.”
In sum, President Trump would like Section 702 to be extended so that intelligence agencies may continue to surveil foreign operatives as the war with Iran continues.
“I have spoken with many in our Military who say FISA is necessary in order to protect our Troops overseas, as well as our people here at home, from the threat of Foreign Terror Attacks,” the president said on Wednesday. “It has already prevented MANY such Attacks, and it is very important that it remain in full force and effect.”
