Donald Trump appoints ally Bill Pulte as acting director of US intelligence

US President Donald Trump has appointed a loyalist with no national security experience to head US intelligence.

The head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Bill Pulte, known for publicly attacking Mr. Trump’s political enemies, would also retain his current post overseeing federal housing and mortgage policies.

Mr. Pulte was named Acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI), replacing Tulsi Gabbard.

Ms Gabbard, herself a controversial choice for the post, resigned at the end of May, ending a tenure that saw her at odds with Mr Trump over his war on Iran.

The DNI, which leads the US intelligence community and is the president’s principal adviser on intelligence matters, is legally required to have “deep national security expertise”, something Mr Pulte lacks.

Mr. Trump praised Mr. Pulte in a social media post announcing his appointment, saying he “has deep experience handling America’s most sensitive issues: safe and sound markets.”

Bill Pulte replaces Tulsi Gabbard as intelligence officer. (Reuters: Nathan Howard)

Mr Pulte, 38, has been described by some US media as the president’s “attack dog”.

He accused Democratic Senator Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James of falsifying documents relating to mortgage applications.

The Wall Street Journal reported that, according to an internal complaint at the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA), Mr. Pulte inappropriately accessed the mortgage records of Ms. James and other Democratic officials.

Mr. Pulte named himself president of FNMA, known as Fannie Mae, after becoming responsible for housing finance.

A federal grand jury indicted Ms. James in October, but a month later a federal judge dismissed the case without prejudice, leaving open the possibility that the charges could be refiled.

Bill Pulte was accused of improperly accessing Letitia James’ mortgage records. (AP: John Clark)

The heir to a real estate fortune

Mr Pulte also defended a mortgage fraud case against US Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, on the basis of which Mr Trump attempted to fire the monetary policymaker.

This case is pending before the Supreme Court.

Heir to a home-building fortune, Mr. Pulte has polarized many people, even within Mr. Trump’s circle, with his aggressive and public political actions.

Democrats have criticized Mr. Pulte’s lack of experience and his history of targeting Mr. Trump’s opponents.

American media report that Bill Pulte has fallen out with the president’s entourage. (AP: Matt Rourke)

Mark Warner, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Mr. Pulte appeared to have been chosen “because the White House thinks he will provide the narrative it wants, not the intelligence we need.”

“The President has chosen an official who has demonstrated not only his willingness but also his willingness to use government authorities to pursue political retaliation,” Senator Warner said in a statement.

And senior Democrat Chuck Schumer called Mr. Pulte a “partisan thug.”

“A guy who can make such baseless, political and outrageous accusations against political office holders he doesn’t like cannot be trusted to protect our national security,” he said.

Chuck Schumer says Bill Pulte is a “partisan thug.” (Reuters: Jonathan Ernst)

Vice President JD Vance came to Mr. Pulte’s defense, describing him in a social media post as a “great guy who recognizes that the intelligence community bureaucracy must answer to elected leaders (rather than the other way around).”

Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, declined to comment on Mr. Pulte’s qualifications during a White House briefing Tuesday local time.

On housing finance, he championed the introduction of a 50-year mortgage in the United States, a proposal that angered many in the MAGA movement.

He also fired internal ethics watchdogs against Fannie Mae that were investigating his own allies, calling the moves a way to end the diversity, equity and inclusion policies that Mr. Trump has sought to purge from the U.S. government.

Among those fired were staffers who complained about Mr. Pulte’s access to the mortgage applications of Senator Schiff and Ms. James.

Mr Pulte fell out with his family over the future of their company PulteGroup and left its board in 2020.

In 2025, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened to punch Mr. Pulte during a dinner at a private club, according to the Wall Street Journal and Politico.

AFP

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