Trump assigns housing chief Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence
Senate Republicans raise alarm as critics describe Pulte as a loyalist with no intelligence background, chosen over advisers' objections
President Trump has appointed Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as acting director of national intelligence, a move that stunned many of his own advisers and drew immediate skepticism from Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
Pulte, who has no known national security experience, reportedly approached Trump directly with the proposal to succeed Tulsi Gabbard, who announced last month she was stepping down.
According to a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report citing people familiar with the matter, Pulte made the case to the president that he would be an unwavering champion of Trump's foreign policy agenda and signaled his support for the war in Iran. According to the report, this was a pitch that resonated with a president who has grown increasingly frustrated with internal dissent and Republican critics.
The appointment, made on an acting basis to avoid the Senate confirmation process, was met with open skepticism by GOP lawmakers. Senator John Cornyn of Texas said he saw "no evidence of any qualification for the job," while Senate Majority Leader John Thune warned against a "weaponized DNI." Inside the administration, some officials privately shared those concerns, though the White House publicly defended the choice, with National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett describing Pulte as someone "trusted by the president."
Pulte has been a polarizing figure within the administration since taking over the housing regulator role. Known to some as "Little Trump," he clashed repeatedly with senior officials, most notably Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who reportedly threatened physical confrontation after learning Pulte had been undermining him with the president. Tensions ran so high that Treasury officials learned of Pulte's intelligence appointment the same way the public did: through social media.
Despite the friction, Trump has consistently shielded Pulte from removal attempts, valuing his aggressive loyalty above institutional experience. Pulte has been vocal about his support for the Iran conflict, previously telling the WSJ he was unconcerned about its effect on mortgage rates and predicting that "Iran will no longer be a threat to the world after this is done."