President Donald Trump announced his pick to replace Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence on Tuesday, and the left is up in arms over it. Bill Pulte is already the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and Chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. His demonstrated loyalty to Trump brought him the president’s favor and the new role – but it has earned the ire of Democrats, as well.
Presidential Praise for Pulte
Trump posted the announcement on Truth Social, praising Pulte:
"William has deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America, the safety and soundness of the Markets, and over 10 Trillion Dollars at Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, a substantial increase from where it was just 12 months ago. During this period, he will remain Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and Chairman of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac.”
The move comes as Gabbard exits at the end of the month to care for her husband, who was recently diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer.
The housing regulator has become known for his referral of a small number of the president’s critics for prosecution over alleged mortgage fraud. Only New York Attorney General Letitia James was actually indicted, though it was dismissed for procedural reasons. No charges have been filed against US Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, or US Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), the others Pulte referred for prosecution.
In December, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) launched an investigation into whether Pulte misused his authority in launching those fraud investigations for personal or partisan purposes. The independent, non-partisan watchdog accepted seven Senate Democrats’ request to investigate Pulte’s referrals of James, Schiff, Cook, and Swalwell to the Justice Department for alleged mortgage fraud.
Bipartisan Criticism
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed skepticism – or, in some cases, outright criticism – of the president’s pick to replace Gabbard as DNI.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) responded to Pulte’s appointment on X:
“Bill Pulte is a partisan thug with no experience in intelligence. He is another unqualified Trump appointee that will make our country less safe. And you won’t hear a word from the Republicans who claim to care about national security.”
Pulte has already been confirmed by the Senate as the FHFA director, so the president can appoint him to fill the role of acting DNI under The Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998. But for Pulte to head the US intelligence community for the remainder of Trump’s term, he would need to be confirmed by the Senate explicitly for that role. Several Republican senators, including Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), indicated Pulte would not get their approval.
Thune told reporters on Tuesday:
“We don’t need a weaponized DNI. We need professionals there. So, again, I’ve just heard about it. I’ll try and get more information about the current state of their thinking about that position. And again, if he’s somebody they want in that position permanently, he’s got, as you all know, a lengthy road ahead of him.”
In a statement to The Hill on Wednesday, US Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) stressed the position’s statutory requirement for “any individual nominated for appointment as Director of National Intelligence” to have “extensive national security expertise,” under 50 U.S.C. § 3023:
“Very few Senate-confirmable positions come with statutory eligibility requirements. There are good reasons why the Director of National Intelligence is one of them. Anyone performing this role of such immense public trust must have the extensive national security experience required by statute, and no nominee who falls short of this requirement will earn my vote.”
Notably, McConnell was the only Republican to vote against Trump’s 2025 nomination of Gabbard to serve as DNI.
Punchbowl News scooped on Wednesday that Senate Democrats are privately pressing Republican leaders to convince Trump to withdraw Pulte’s appointment, while threatening to kill a bipartisan FISA deal if he doesn’t.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued a statement responding to Trump’s appointment of Pulte:
“It is that he appears to have been selected precisely because the White House believes he will provide the narrative it wants, not the intelligence we need. Americans have every reason to worry about what happens when the official charged with overseeing everything from counterterrorism to foreign election threats is chosen for his willingness to advance the president’s political agenda rather than his experience. That is how intelligence becomes politicized, how inconvenient facts disappear, how agencies charged with protecting our democracy instead become tools to manipulate it, and how Americans are left more vulnerable to a terrorist attack.”
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said very little on Pulte’s appointment: “I have no observations on the matter.”
Trump’s Decision
Responding to a question about why he chose Pulte as Acting DNI, Trump reportedly told CBS News he is a "very talented guy." The president is known to value loyalty. But Pulte also shares another quality with the president: He’s a disruptor. Semafor scooped a source that called Pulte a “bulldozer” to bureaucracy. Pulte made news for being a vocal advocate of firing Jerome Powell, former Federal Reserve chair and critic of Trump’s approach to the central banking system. And he famously clashed with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in September at a private dinner, where Bessent reportedly threatened to punch Pulte in the face.
That combination may work for Trump’s designs for transparency within the intelligence community. Pulte may have the secret sauce in declassifying and releasing documents en masse – at least in the short term of 210 days he is allowed to stay in the role of Acting Director of National Intelligence.
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