Government's power to spy on Americans without a warrant is suddenly at risk in Congress, which is bad for the Trump administration pushing to keep it.

• Section 702 lets the government read Americans' calls and messages with foreigners without a warrant, and it expires this Friday unless Congress renews it.
• Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are pushing hard to keep it, calling it vital for security.
• Renewal looked easy until Trump named Bill Pulte — a real estate developer with no intelligence background — as acting intelligence chief.
• Republicans like Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, and John Kennedy already opposed it, and now nervous senators from both parties are pulling support.
• Fear that Pulte could use the spying powers to chase 2020 voter-fraud claims is driving the sudden cold feet.

Outlook: The Friday deadline vote is now genuinely in doubt, with the count too close to call.