Trump taps inexperienced loyalist to oversee nation’s intelligence agencies
President Donald Trump tapped a loyal political supporter as acting director of national intelligence, despite his lack of experience in any intelligence role.
Trump named Bill Pulte, 38, a federal housing official who has called for criminal investigations of several of the president’s political foes, to temporarily replace Tulsi Gabbard, who is resigning on June 30 to care for her husband, who has a rare form of bone cancer.
Pulte is director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-supported agencies that assist Americans with home buying. He will remain in that role while also serving as the intelligence chief, who oversees 18 U.S. intelligence-gathering agencies.
“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 said in a post on Truth Social.
Who is Bill Pulte?
Pulte’s family founded one of the largest home-building companies in the U.S. and has worked in private equity and finance.
He is a longtime ally of the president, advocating for investigations into some of the president’s 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 James and Schiff engaged in mortgage fraud by claiming two properties as their primary residences. Schiff has never been charged. However, James was indicted in 2025, but a judge dismissed the case.
Pulte is reportedly close to Trump and was involved in a controversial episode this spring when Trump shared a picture on social media on Easter Sunday that appeared to depict him as Jesus. It drew such fierce backlash that the president took the post down.
Now, however, Axios reports Pulte brought the image to the president’s attention before he shared it.
In addition to his professional connections to the president, Pulte is also a member at the president’s Mar-A-Lago club and is a frequent passenger on Air Force One, The Associated Press reports.
A controversial pick?
Immediately following Trump’s announcement, Democratic lawmakers spoke out against the pick, noting Pulte lacks experience for the intelligence role and claiming the pick is a reward for his commitment to Trump and his interests.
“Bill Pulte has spent the last year at FHFA abusing his authority to attack President Trump’s perceived political enemies,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said on X. “Today, Trump is rewarding his lackey — who has no national security experience — with a perch atop our nation’s intelligence community.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer shared an even harsher assessment on X.
“Bill Pulte is a partisan thug with no experience in intelligence,” Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote. “He is another unqualified Trump appointee that will make our country less safe.”
Round out your reading
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
