Trump Names Housing Official Pulte Acting Intelligence Director

President Donald Trump has installed Bill Pulte, the Federal Housing Finance Agency director with zero intelligence background, as acting director of national intelligence, a move that has triggered sharp bipartisan criticism and placed the renewal of key surveillance authorities in jeopardy.

Pulte, grandson of the PulteGroup founder, will continue overseeing housing finance policy while taking on the DNI post vacated by Tulsi Gabbard in May. The appointment relies on the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, allowing Trump to sidestep Senate confirmation for up to 210 days. Yet the choice has drawn immediate fire for placing an unqualified official in charge of America’s intelligence apparatus at a moment when critical spy powers hang in the balance.

Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair Mark Warner called the pick “the most outrageous of all” among Trump’s selections. Warner, who plays a central role in negotiations over Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act authorities, has urged Senate Majority Leader John Thune to press the White House for a reversal. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer warned that the timing could not be worse, with Section 702 set to expire June 12 absent congressional action.

Section 702 permits warrantless surveillance of foreign targets overseas but has long drawn scrutiny from both parties over incidental collection of Americans’ data. Democrats have already signaled reluctance to extend the program under Pulte’s leadership, citing his record at FHFA. There he directed criminal referrals targeting Trump political opponents on mortgage fraud allegations, prompting accusations that he has already weaponized government authority for partisan ends.

Republican concerns have compounded the problem. Some senators have privately expressed alarm at Pulte’s inexperience and his reported clashes with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who told a Senate hearing he once threatened to “kick his ass” during a 2025 dinner. Pulte’s push for 50-year mortgages also reportedly irritated Trump allies, while his earlier association with a controversial Trump-Jesus image further alienated conservatives.

Sen. Mike Rounds, a member of the intelligence committee, called on the White House to intervene directly to salvage the FISA extension, warning that Democratic opposition tied to the Pulte appointment risks derailing the measure. Without at least eight Democratic votes, the authorities lapse, forcing the administration into an unwelcome choice between retaining its preferred nominee and preserving a core intelligence tool.

The episode underscores a pattern in which Trump prioritizes loyalty and personal networks over institutional competence in sensitive national security roles. Pulte’s dual responsibilities at FHFA and DNI raise practical questions about divided attention, while his lack of any apparent expertise in intelligence collection, analysis or oversight leaves the community without steady leadership. Democrats argue the appointment illustrates a broader willingness to subordinate national security to political score-settling.

With the June 12 deadline looming, the White House faces mounting pressure to either withdraw Pulte or risk losing Section 702 authorities that intelligence agencies have described as essential. For lawmakers in both parties, the episode has crystallized doubts about whether the administration can manage the intelligence community without injecting further instability into already strained oversight processes.