Trump names Bill Pulte acting intelligence chief, sparking politicization fears

President Donald Trump named Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte acting director of national intelligence on June 2, elevating a close ally with no known intelligence background to oversee the nation’s spy agencies as Tulsi Gabbard prepares to leave the post at the end of June. The move put Pulte, who already runs the FHFA and chairs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, in line to access some of the United States’ most sensitive secrets while still holding a powerful housing role.

The appointment immediately sharpened fears that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence could be pulled deeper into partisan fights. The office coordinates the country’s 18 intelligence agencies, and congressional statute says DNI appointees should bring extensive national security expertise. Former officers and analysts warned that a leader viewed as a political loyalist could pressure career analysts, politicize intelligence assessments or even weaponize classified information against domestic rivals. NBC News also reported concerns that Pulte could use intelligence to target political opponents or help justify federal oversight of elections.

Those worries were amplified by Pulte’s record at FHFA. He has used mortgage-related information to push the Department of Justice toward investigations of Democratic lawmakers, Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook and New York Attorney General Letitia James over mortgage-fraud allegations that have not resulted in convictions. He also urged Congress to investigate Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over the central bank’s headquarters renovation and endorsed Trump’s 50-year mortgage proposal. Trump praised him on Truth Social for having “deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America,” but critics said his real experience has been as a political enforcer.

The reaction on Capitol Hill was skeptical. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said someone who files “baseless political” accusations against officials he dislikes cannot be trusted with national security. Senate Intelligence Committee ranking member Mark Warner said Trump chose someone eager to use government power for “political retribution.” Senate Majority Leader John Thune drew his own line in the sand, saying, “We don’t need a weaponized DNI. We need professionals there.”

Any attempt to make the job permanent would face a harder test. The Senate is closely divided, and one Republican defection on the Intelligence Committee could derail a nomination. Pulte’s earlier confirmation as FHFA director, by a 56-43 Senate vote in 2025 with three Democrats voting yes, showed he can win support, but the intelligence post carries far tighter legal and political guardrails.