Trump names Bill Pulte director of national intelligence to replace Gabbard
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump appointed Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as the new acting director of national intelligence, tapping a trusted ally with no previous experience in an intelligence role to replace Tulsi Gabbard.
Trump announced the unusual pick of Pulte in a June 2 post on Truth Social. Trump said Pulte ‒ as the top federal official overseeing mortgage backers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac ‒ has "deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America, the safety and soundness of the Markets."
Trump credited Pulte with overseeing $10 trillion in combined assets and mortgages under Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the federal government's two mortgage finance firms.
Pulte, 38, is the grandson of the founder of one of the nation's largest homebuilders, Pulte Homes, which was established in Detroit in the 1950s. Pulte is the founder of the private equity firm Pulte Capital Partners.
In his new role, Pulte will oversee the U.S. intelligence community, composed of 18 agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency. He's tasked with gathering data and information on security threats domestically and worldwide.
When asked about the appointment, Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee overseeing the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, said, "I have no observations on the matter.”
The ODNI under Gabbard underwent a major downsizing, with staff reduced or reassigned by 40% through an "ODNI 2.0" initiative launched last August. Gabbard was also accused of politicizing the office through the selective declassification of certain Russia-related intelligence assessments.
Gabbard also raised alarms by participating in a controversial FBI seizure of 2020 election ballots in Georgia in January as part of the Trump administration's effort to prove election fraud in the election that Trump lost in the state to Democrat Joe Biden.
Trump said Pulte will remain in his positions of director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and chairman of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac.
Democrats say Pulte picked for Trump loyalty, not qualifications
Pulte has assumed a relatively high profile in a federal housing position that typically operates out of the spotlight.
Critics say he has improperly used his position to go after Trump adversaries, including Senate Intelligence Committee member Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California.
In 2025, Pulte accused Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook of claiming two of her mortgages as primary residences, leading Trump to fire Cook over mortgage fraud allegations. Cook, who sued Trump over her termination, remains on the board as litigation proceeds. Pulte has also made criminal referrals targeting Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James over alleged homeowners' insurance fraud.
Schiff denied any wrongdoing in the mortgage fraud probe, which has stalled.
Democrats lashed out at Trump this week for what they called the appointment of an unqualified political loyalist, saying the top intelligence position was created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to make sure all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies are working together to protect national interests – and the American people.
“Americans have already seen Mr. Pulte use the powers of his office at the Federal Housing Finance Agency to pursue the president’s grievances and lend credibility to dubious prosecutions of President Trump’s perceived political opponents,” said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
“Elevating him to oversee the Intelligence Community makes clear that this president is not looking for an intelligence leader who will follow the facts or speak truth to power, but rather someone who will be willing to shape intelligence around the president’s wishes, regardless of the cost to the American people," Warner said.
Ned Price, a former CIA analyst and White House and State Department official in the Obama and Biden administrations, also criticized Pulte’s appointment because of his eagerness to use his housing agency position to go after Trump’s adversaries.
"The biggest news isn't that Trump is appointing someone without a national security background to a position that, by law, requires 'extensive' experience,” Price posted on X. “It's that Pulte earned Trump's trust by using **mortgage** records to pursue perceived political enemies.”
“Now this top henchman will have access to some of our most sensitive intelligence and exquisite capabilities,” Price said. “That's why this is so noteworthy – and concerning.”
No need for Senate confirmation as acting director
Gabbard, the outgoing director of national intelligence, announced in May that she was resigning her post as the nation's top intelligence official because of her husband’s rare bone cancer diagnosis. Her resignation becomes effective June 30.
Serving as an acting director, rather than being nominated to the full-time position, Pulte will not require Senate confirmation. Trump has not said whether he will nominate a permanent replacement to lead the nation's intelligence community.
The Government Accountability Office, an independent investigative agency of Congress, in December announced it was investigating whether Pulte abused his position and government resources to accuse Trump adversaries, including Cook and James, of crimes. The probe followed a request from eight Democratic senators.
Pulte helped spearhead a Trump proposal to create mortgages with 50-year terms in a push to allow more first-time homebuyers to qualify to purchase homes, but the plan was quickly abandoned amid widespread criticism.
Trump pick could complicate pending legislation
Although Pulte doesn't need Senate approval for his new position, his appointment could affect key legislation that the upper chamber is currently considering − reauthorization of the powerful Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA.
The statute enables U.S. spy agencies to gain access, without a warrant, to foreigners' texts, calls and emails. And while it's designed to track enemy spies and terrorists, some lawmakers – including Republicans – say the communications of Americans can get swept up by the powerful surveillance tool, too.
Section 702 is set to expire on June 12 unless Congress intervenes. But Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, said Pulte's appointment could − and should – complicate that already fraught process.
“At the ODNI, Pulte will be intimately involved in overseeing FISA Section 702, where he could do vastly more damage and the potential for abuse is nearly unlimited," Wyden said. "Bill Pulte’s appointment at ODNI is yet another reason that every single Democrat should refuse to reauthorize Section 702 without strong new safeguards for Americans’ rights.”
Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who also sits on the Senate Intelligence Committee – and recently lost his reelection bid – told reporters June 2 that, "I see no evidence of any qualifications for that job."
Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine, who was considered for the ODNI job in 2020, said in a statement that, "By any objective assessment – in terms of experience, expertise, background – this appointment makes no sense."
Contributing: Reuters and Todd Spangler of the Detroit Free Press
Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarrison.