Pulte pick raises concerns about DNI independence

Savannah Behrmann, CQ-Roll Call on Jun 2, 2026

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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s pick of Bill Pulte to be the acting director of national intelligence got mixed reviews Tuesday on Capitol Hill, as some worried that the Trump ally may seek to weaponize the agency.

Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, has been tapped by Trump to replace Director Tulsi Gabbard when she steps down from the role at the end of June.

Pulte “has deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America, the safety and soundness of the Markets, and over 10 Trillion Dollars at Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, a substantial increase from where it was just 12 months ago,” Trump posted to his social media platform, Truth Social. He also said Pulte will remain in his other roles.

Democrats raised concerns over Pulte’s lack of intelligence experience as well as his past referrals of some of Trump’s perceived foes to the Department of Justice for mortgage fraud allegations. The Government Accountability Office agreed to open an investigation into those actions in December, according to Senate Banking Committee ranking member Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., said Tuesday, “A guy who can file such baseless political and outrageous charges against political officer holders he doesn’t like can’t be entrusted to protect our national security.”

“The director of national intelligence is supposed to speak truth to power, but Donald Trump appears to have chosen Pulte because he speaks power’s truth instead. Americans need an intelligence chief loyal to the facts, the intelligence, the security of the nation — not the political interests of one man,” Schumer said in floor remarks.

The ranking member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, D-Va., said in a statement, “Rather than selecting a respected national security professional capable of delivering independent judgments, the president has chosen an official who has demonstrated not just willingness but eagerness to use the authorities of government to pursue political retribution.”

Last year, the Senate confirmed Pulte as director of the FHFA in a 56-43 vote, with three Democrats voting in favor.

When asked about concerns over weaponization of the office, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said, “Well, we don’t need a weaponized DNI. We need professionals there.”

“If they nominate him to take the position permanently, he’ll have to go through a confirmation process and hearings and everything else,” Thune said, calling it a “lengthy road ahead of him.” But the leader was unclear Tuesday morning about the administration’s long-term plans for the role.

If the administration nominates Pulte to the position permanently, senators may not have to vote on his confirmation until the next Congress. And that would be a sigh of relief for some, as it would begin on shaky ground with the current GOP majority.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who lost his recent primary runoff after Trump backed his opponent, told reporters Tuesday, “I see no evidence of any qualifications (in Pulte) for that job.” Cornyn would be a key vote on the Intelligence panel.

Under the Vacancies Act, Pulte could serve as acting director for 210 days without needing Senate confirmation once Gabbard steps down. If her departure takes effect on June 30, that timeline could allow the Trump administration to delay a confirmation fight in the Senate and potentially push it into the next Congress, as that would land in late January.

If the administration nominates someone else for the position and that nomination is “rejected, withdrawn, or returned by the Senate,” the Vacancies Act provides for an additional 210-day acting-service period. That similarly applies for a second nomination, potentially allowing Pulte to serve well beyond the initial period.

Pulte’s grandfather founded the PulteGroup Inc., a prominent home construction company.

“If you’re good at drywall, you must be good at national intelligence,” Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a member of the Intelligence Committee, quipped on Tuesday. “I don’t get it. This is an important job, you know. This is about the safety of all Americans.”