President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden leads Trump by 36 points nationally among Latinos: poll Trump dismisses climate change role in fires, says Newsom needs to manage forest better Jimmy Kimmel hits Trump for rallies while hosting Emmy Awards MORE is threatening to blow up an extension of expiring intelligence programs as he backchannels with a cadre of top allies who want to use the bill to reform a shadowy surveillance court.

Congress has approximately 10 working days to reauthorize three expiring provisions of the USA Freedom Act, a 2015 bill that overhauled the country’s surveillance laws, with Attorney General William Barr Bill BarrSunday shows - Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death dominates What Attorney General Barr really said about justice Pelosi: House will use 'every arrow in our quiver' to stop Trump Supreme Court nominee MORE and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellOcasio-Cortez to voters: Tell McConnell 'he is playing with fire' with Ginsburg's seat McConnell locks down key GOP votes in Supreme Court fight Video shows NYC subway station renamed after Ruth Bader Ginsburg MORE (R-Ky.) backing a “clean” extension.

But Trump threw a grenade into those already fragile plans Thursday, when Sen. Rand Paul Randal (Rand) Howard PaulSecond GOP senator to quarantine after exposure to coronavirus GOP senator to quarantine after coronavirus exposure The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by National Industries for the Blind - Trump seeks to flip 'Rage' narrative; Dems block COVID-19 bill MORE (R-Ky.) told reporters that the president supports his effort to include broader reforms of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) as part of any reauthorization of the intelligence programs.

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“I’ve talked to the president, and I plan on insisting on getting a vote,” Paul said, asked by The Hill about including broader FISA reforms in a bill would authorize the expiring provisions of the USA Freedom Act.

Paul wants a vote on an amendment that would prevent FISA warrants from being used against Americans. Paul’s proposal would also prevent FISA information from being used against Americans in a domestic courtroom. The president, according to Paul, is supportive of his amendment.

Trump’s apparent support for including broader changes to the surveillance court associated with FISA comes as he’s railed repeatedly about his campaign being “spied” upon by the Obama-era FBI.

Progressives and libertarian-minded Republicans have long pushed to reform the court, arguing enough privacy protections and transparency aren’t given to individuals targeted for government surveillance.

But concerns about the court found a broader audience with Republicans when Justice Department inspector general Michael Horowitz found 17 “significant inaccuracies and omissions” as part of the surveillance warrant applications involving Trump campaign associate Carter Page.

Trump, before Thursday, had not weighed in on whether those broad reforms to the surveillance court needed to be included in the USA Freedom Act reauthorization.

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Sending the opposite signal, Barr was dispatched to the Capitol on Tuesday where he urged Senate Republicans to pass a clean extension of the three expiring provisions related to roving wiretaps, lone-wolf surveillance and a controversial records program that allows the government to view phone metadata.

GOP senators say Barr indicated during the lunch that Trump would support a clean extension of the three programs. McConnell threw his support behind extending the authorities during a press conference after the powwow with Barr.

“These tools have been overwhelmingly useful according to our intelligence advisors, and I hope that when the Senate deals with these expiring provisions in a couple of weeks, we will be able to continue to have them in law, which will, of course, provide maximum protection for the American people,” McConnell told reporters.

Sen. Roy Blunt Roy Dean BluntMcConnell locks down key GOP votes in Supreme Court fight Murkowski: Supreme Court nominee should not be taken up before election Battle lines drawn on precedent in Supreme Court fight MORE (R-Mo.), a member of GOP leadership and the Intelligence Committee, noted that Barr was supportive of a clean extension.

“I certainly think he has talked to the president about it,” Blunt said. “[But] the president speaks for himself.”

Paul accused Barr of making the administration’s position “cloudy” by advocating for a clean extension.

“After the conversation with Barr [on Tuesday] I called the president and said, ‘we’re missing a huge opportunity. If your administration is for this,’ and he assured me that that’s not his opinion. So we’re getting conflicting reports … but I think the president is the final word,” Paul said.

Paul’s comments come after there were signs, via Trump’s Twitter account, that he could be leaning toward pushing for reforms to the surveillance court as part of the intelligence legislation.

Trump retweeted Rep. Jim Jordan James (Jim) Daniel JordanSunday shows preview: Justice Ginsburg dies, sparking partisan battle over vacancy before election House passes resolution condemning anti-Asian discrimination relating to coronavirus Republicans call for Judiciary hearing into unrest in cities run by Democrats MORE’s call for changes to the FISA process, including a Fox News clip where the Ohio Republican discusses wanting to get changes to the surveillance court. He retweeted Jordan a second time on FISA reforms and added “they spied on my campaign!”

The tweet comes as Trump and other top White House officials have been talking with a group of Republicans who support using the USA Freedom reauthorization bill to make broader surveillance changes.

In addition to Paul, Trump has been talking with Republican Sen. Mike Lee Michael (Mike) Shumway LeeMcConnell shores up GOP support for coronavirus package McConnell tries to unify GOP Davis: The Hall of Shame for GOP senators who remain silent on Donald Trump MORE about the issue, according to a spokesman for the Utah senator.

“Sen. Lee has had multiple positive phone calls with President Trump on this,” said Conn Carroll, a spokesman for Lee, asked if he had been in contact with the White House about getting FISA reforms into the USA Freedom reauthorization.

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Meanwhile, Jordan and Rep. Mark Meadows Mark Randall MeadowsAirline CEOs plead with Washington as layoffs loom Trump reacts to Ginsburg's death: 'An amazing woman who led an amazing life' Trump carries on with rally, unaware of Ginsburg's death MORE (R-N.C.) met on Wednesday with Trump son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner Jared Corey KushnerAbraham Accords: New hope for peace in Middle East Tenants in Kushner building file lawsuit alleging dangerous living conditions Trump hosts Israel, UAE, Bahrain for historic signing MORE to discuss the need for broader surveillance reforms as part of the intelligence bill, according to a Republican staff source.

The source added that Kushner was “certainly receptive” to the idea of merging surveillance reforms into the legislation.

The negotiations over reauthorizing the expiring provisions of the USA Freedom Act have already been fraught with division. House Democrats had to pull their own bill after Rep. Zoe Lofgren Zoe Ellen LofgrenTop Democrats call for DOJ watchdog to probe Barr over possible 2020 election influence DHS opens probe into allegations at Georgia ICE facility House passes legislation to boost election security research MORE (D-Calif.) threatened to force several FISA-related votes.

McConnell, meanwhile, has been trying to get Republicans line up behind a clean extension.

In a bid to try to soothe GOP concerns about potential surveillance abuse, Barr told Republicans that he would use his own rulemaking authority to enact changes to the surveillance court and the warrant application process.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamMcConnell locks down key GOP votes in Supreme Court fight Will Republicans' rank hypocrisy hinder their rush to replace Ginsburg? Momentum growing among Republicans for Supreme Court vote before Election Day MORE (R-S.C.) is also doing a deep dive on the FISA process, including closed-door depositions that he expects to start next week. Graham appeared caught off guard about Paul’s talk with the president, saying “I haven’t talked to him about it, [but] I’ll see him this weekend.”

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Graham and Trump are campaigning in South Carolina together.

It’s unclear if those promises will be enough to get Republicans back on board with a straightforward extension of the expiring surveillance programs.

“If we don't fix FISA now, it will never be fixed,” said Sen. John Kennedy John Neely KennedyMORE (R-La.). “This is our opportunity. This is our chance.”