Trump says Pulte won’t be permanent, raising clearance doubts

Trump says – President Donald Trump said Bill Pulte’s role as acting director of national intelligence will not be permanent, even as fresh reporting has questioned whether Pulte had the required security clearance before taking the job. The temporary decision has drawn cr

President Donald Trump didn’t speak as if the acting director of national intelligence were headed for a long tenure. When reporters pressed him on Bill Pulte’s role, Trump made the point plainly—Pulte’s appointment was not meant to last.

“It’s an acting position,” Trump told reporters. “He’s not going to be permanent.”

The timing matters. Pulte took over this week after the departure of Tulsi Gabbard. While he fills in as acting DNI. he is continuing to hold his existing posts as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac—positions he will keep while serving in the intelligence role.

For now, Pulte is tasked with overseeing the office that coordinates the work of 18 U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA and NSA. Trump said the White House is already moving beyond the stopgap. “We are interviewing people right now. ” he said. describing the next step as someone “just to take it over for a little while. ” while the administration searches for a permanent intelligence chief.

Trump faced direct pushback over whether Pulte is qualified for the job. He rejected criticism that the acting DNI lacks intelligence or national security experience. saying management ability outweighs a traditional intelligence resume. When asked whether Pulte was qualified. Trump said. “I think he does. actually. because he’s smart.” He pointed to Pulte’s oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and said he believes Pulte can handle the assignment while the administration settles on a permanent nominee.

But the appointment is also where the tension deepened. Democrats immediately seized on Pulte’s selection. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called it “another indication of how unserious, reckless, and dangerous” the administration has been on national security matters.

“Bill Pulte is willing to say anything or do anything that Donald Trump demands, no matter how reckless, vengeful, or unlawful Donald Trump’s demand may be,” Jeffries said. “Bill Pulte has weaponized the federal government to go after Donald Trump’s perceived enemies.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer went further in a post on X. calling Pulte “a partisan thug with no experience in intelligence” and arguing the appointment would make the country less safe. The post reads in part: “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.”.

Skepticism also surfaced among some Republicans. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said earlier this week that the country needs experienced intelligence professionals in the role. contrasting what he described as the need for professionals with what he characterized as a more political approach. “We don’t need a weaponized DNI, we need professionals there,” Thune said.

And Sen. John Cornyn of Texas told reporters he had seen nothing in Pulte’s background that would qualify him for the position.

Adding to the controversy is a separate concern that emerged from reporting Friday. The account said Pulte did not have a security clearance before being selected for the job. an unusual circumstance for someone expected to oversee the nation’s most sensitive intelligence programs. The report said the Office of the Director of National Intelligence initiated a background investigation this week as part of the clearance process.

Trump’s insistence that the job is temporary can shift how the political battle plays out. Acknowledging it is an acting role sidesteps—at least for now—a potentially difficult confirmation fight in the Senate for a permanent intelligence director.

While discussing Pulte’s new responsibilities, Trump also suggested the acting DNI could look at election-related questions. “He’s a very smart guy and he may find out some things about the rigged elections,” Trump said.

That comment pulled renewed attention back to Tulsi Gabbard’s appearance earlier this year during an FBI operation connected to election records. Gabbard appeared outside the Fulton County Clerk’s Office in Georgia. where the FBI executed a search warrant in relation to the 2020 election. The record shows Gabbard later told lawmakers that Trump had asked her to attend and that she spent only a short time observing the execution of the warrant.

For now, Pulte is holding two jobs at once—managing the federal housing agencies that back much of the nation’s mortgage market while temporarily overseeing the country’s intelligence community as the White House looks for a permanent director.

Donald Trump Bill Pulte acting director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard security clearance House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer John Thune John Cornyn Federal Housing Finance Agency Fannie Mae Freddie Mac CIA NSA 2020 election records Fulton County Clerk's Office