Donald Trump says he is appointing Bill Pulte, already director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as acting director of national intelligence. The move will replace former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, who resigned last month and will leave the role effective June
On Tuesday, the Trump administration moved quickly to fill one of the most consequential posts in the U.S. intelligence system. Donald Trump announced in a social media post that he was appointing Bill Pulte—already the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency—as acting director of national intelligence.
Pulte is set to replace former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard after her resignation last month. Gabbard said she was stepping down because of her husband’s cancer diagnosis. She has a few weeks left on the job, with her resignation set to take effect June 30.
As acting director of national intelligence, Pulte’s job is, in broad terms, to oversee and coordinate the 18 agencies that make up the U.S. intelligence community. That includes major players such as the CIA, the FBI, and the National Security Agency.
For much of the second Trump administration, the role was described as sidelined—at least in practice—because of conflicts between Gabbard and the White House.
The concern now centers less on what the job requires on paper and more on what Pulte is known for. Pulte has no background in national security or intelligence, and the story surrounding his appointment points to one “sole qualification”: relentless loyalty to Trump.
The record cited here stretches back to Pulte’s time in government. where he has been described as freelancing as Trump’s attack dog—digging up what the reporting characterizes as flimsy accusations of mortgage fraud involving Fed governor Lisa Cook. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Of those allegations, only one resulted in an indictment, and that case has since been dismissed.
Pulte also pushed Trump to fire former Fed chair Jay Powell.
Taken together. the question that hangs over the appointment is whether loyalty-driven politics will steer an intelligence role that touches both domestic and foreign intelligence collection. In FHFA leadership, the appointment has been framed by critics as similar schemes aimed at indicting Trump’s enemies. In the intelligence community. with authority over what gets collected and how agencies coordinate. the stakes are portrayed as potentially far higher.
Gabbard’s time as DNI was described as bizarre, alarming, and ineffectual—an evaluation that could still be overtaken by what comes next if Pulte brings the same style of political combat into a structure built for national security decisions.
Donald Trump Bill Pulte acting director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard Federal Housing Finance Agency intelligence community CIA FBI NSA Lisa Cook Adam Schiff Letitia James Jay Powell
So he’s just putting a real estate/mortgage guy in charge of spying? Cool cool.
I don’t get how this isn’t a security risk. Like loyalty to Trump shouldn’t matter when you’re dealing with CIA/FBI/NSA. Also didn’t Tulsi resign because her husband is sick? That part makes me feel bad but still… why him.
Wait, is Bill Pulte like the same person who was pushing mortgage fraud stuff? I saw something on TikTok about the Fed and Lisa Cook and it was all confusing. If they fired Powell then that’s basically the whole economy right there, right? Either way this sounds like they’re trying to indict people again, not do intelligence.
Acting director of national intelligence is like… the top spy boss right? Why would Trump pick someone from housing finance, that makes zero sense. They keep saying “conflicts” with Gabbard but I’m more stuck on the fact that Adam Schiff and Letitia James get mentioned like always. If only one indictment happened and it got dismissed, then what are we even doing here. Sounds like another drama shuffle to me.