President Donald Trump has tapped Bill Pulte, a 38-year-old federal housing official, to serve as acting director of national intelligence—despite having no prior experience in an intelligence role. Trump’s pick is meant to bridge the transition as Tulsi Gabba
On the same day Tulsi Gabbard’s exit was set in motion, President Donald Trump moved to put Bill Pulte at the center of the U.S. intelligence apparatus—temporarily, but with enormous reach.
Trump named Pulte, 38, a federal housing official, to replace Gabbard as acting director of national intelligence as she resigns on June 30 to care for her husband, who has a rare form of bone cancer. The acting intelligence chief role oversees 18 U.S. intelligence-gathering agencies.
Pulte will also keep his current job: he is director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-supported agencies that help Americans with home buying. Trump said Pulte would remain in those positions while serving as intelligence chief.
“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,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
For Democrats, the choice was less about the workload and more about what Pulte has—or doesn’t have—in intelligence.
Pulte comes from a family that founded one of the largest home-building companies in the U.S. His background includes work in private equity and finance, and he has long aligned with Trump politically. He has advocated for criminal investigations of several Trump’s perceived foes. including Jerome Powell. the former chair of the Federal Reserve; New York Attorney General Letitia James; and Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.
Pulte made criminal referrals alleging that James and Schiff engaged in mortgage fraud by claiming two properties as their primary residences. Schiff has never been charged. James was indicted in 2025, but a judge dismissed the case.
The political loyalty critics point to is not confined to Washington arguments. Pulte is a member at Trump’s Mar-A-Lago club and has been described as a frequent passenger on Air Force One. He also became involved in a controversy this spring after Trump shared a picture on social media on Easter Sunday that appeared to depict him as Jesus. prompting fierce backlash that led the president to remove the post.
The reporting described that Pulte brought the image to Trump’s attention before it was shared.
Those personal ties and the housing-agency track record quickly became the focus of Capitol Hill opposition once Trump announced the appointment.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said on X that Pulte had spent the last year at FHFA abusing his authority to attack President Trump’s perceived political enemies and that the congressional watchdog is investigating his handling of sensitive financial information.
“Today, Trump is rewarding his lackey — who has no national security experience — with a perch atop our nation’s intelligence community,” Warren wrote.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., went further, calling Pulte unqualified.
“Bill Pulte is a partisan thug with no experience in intelligence,” Schumer wrote on X. “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.”
Donald Trump Bill Pulte acting director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard Federal Housing Finance Agency Fannie Mae Freddie Mac Mar-A-Lago Truth Social Elizabeth Warren Chuck Schumer Jerome Powell Letitia James Adam Schiff
So he’s intelligence chief now… because houses? ok.
I don’t get it, how is a housing guy “acting intelligence director” lol. Like does he just look at crime rates on Zillow or what. Seems like a conflict of interest with Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac too.
Wait I thought Tulsi Gabbard got fired or something, but now she’s resigning to care for her husband? Bone cancer?? That part makes me feel bad for her. But also… Pulte didn’t do intelligence before so how is this “transition”? And Trump saying 10 trillion like that’s supposed to make it fine.
This is why I can’t keep up, every week there’s a new acting chief for something. He probably “knows sensitive matters” because he’s around Wall Street. Also they mention criminal investigations of Powell and Schiff and James but it’s like… doesn’t that mean he’s the one getting investigated? Idk, half of it sounds political and the other half sounds like paperwork for Fannie/Freddie. Acting director my ass, he’s basically in charge for real.