Trump Appointed Housing Official with No Intel Experience as Spy Chief

Update, June 2, 2026: On June 2, 2026, President Trump named Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as acting Director of National Intelligence, replacing Tulsi Gabbard. Pulte, 38, has no intelligence background, and federal statute requires any DNI appointee to have “extensive national security expertise.” Trump announced on Truth Social that Pulte would retain his FHFA post while overseeing the country’s 18 intelligence agencies.

The appointment drew criticism from both parties on Capitol Hill. Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters, “We don’t need a weaponized DNI. We need professionals there,” and Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) said he saw “no evidence of any qualifications for that job.” When White House correspondents asked CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz about Pulte’s credentials at the press briefing, he declined to answer, calling the question “out of my lane.”

The Government Accountability Office is separately investigating whether Pulte misused FHFA resources to pursue political targets, including pushing an indictment of New York Attorney General Letitia James that later collapsed. Senators Ron Wyden and Elizabeth Warren wrote to Pulte last month questioning a $65,000 donation from his foundation to what Mother Jones found to be a nonexistent charity, with the funds traced to a Wyoming LLC connected to a law firm that represented Trump in post-January 6 litigation.

Update, June 10, 2026: On Wednesday, Trump posted on Truth Social directing Pulte to begin an “immediate and needed downsizing” of ODNI on June 19, the date Pulte is set to assume the acting director role, with staff to be returned to their home agencies. Trump also stated he is actively searching for a permanent ODNI nominee “with experience in National Security.” Pulte succeeds Tulsi Gabbard, who resigned last month after her husband was diagnosed with cancer.

The appointment has stalled Congressional efforts to renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which permits warrantless collection of communications believed to involve individuals outside the United States. Last week, the Senate voted 52-47 against a three-year extension of the measure, with all but one Senate Democrat and seven Republicans in opposition, citing concerns about Pulte’s qualifications. Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman was the lone Democrat to vote in favor.

Senate Intelligence Committee ranking member Mark Warner said naming Pulte to lead ODNI was like “throwing a live hand grenade” into Section 702 reauthorization talks. Senate Majority Leader John Thune told reporters, “We need professionals here,” signaling Republican unease with the pick. Trump responded by accusing Democrats of “taking our national security hostage.”

Update, June 17, 2026: President Trump directed his DNI nominee Jay Clayton to skip a scheduled Senate confirmation hearing on June 17, announcing on Truth Social that acting DNI Bill Pulte would remain in the role. Senator Tom Cotton, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, postponed the hearing after receiving Trump’s directive and called the outcome “regrettable.”

Trump tied his support for renewing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to passage of the SAVE AMERICA ACT, a voter ID bill that has not cleared the Senate’s 60-vote threshold. Democrats had pledged to block FISA renewal as long as Pulte, who has no intelligence or military background, held the acting DNI post.

Senator Mark Warner, the ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that the “biggest obstacle to resolving these issues” has been “the chaos and confusion coming from the White House itself.” Pulte, the former director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, remains the acting head of the 18-agency intelligence community with no confirmed date for Clayton’s rescheduled hearing, according to Al Jazeera.