President Trump appointed Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and heir to the Pulte Homes fortune, as acting Director of National Intelligence on Monday, raising immediate questions about his qualifications for overseeing the nation's intelligence community.
Pulte, who has served as head of FHFA since Trump's inauguration, will require Senate confirmation to permanently hold the DNI position. The appointment comes amid ongoing scrutiny over his use of housing agency data to investigate political opponents.
What the Left Is Saying
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, issued a sharp condemnation of Pulte's appointment. 'Americans have already seen Mr. Pulte use the powers of his office at the Federal Housing Finance Agency to pursue the president's grievances and lend credibility to dubious prosecutions of President Trump's perceived political opponents,' Warner said in a statement.
Warner argued that elevating Pulte demonstrates Trump is not seeking an intelligence leader who will follow facts or speak truth to power. 'Rather someone who will be willing to shape intelligence around the president's wishes, regardless of the cost to the American people,' he said.
Pulte has raised questions about whether prominent Democrats properly followed the law in taking out mortgages, including Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). CNN reported that Pulte issued two criminal referrals for James to the Justice Department alleging homeowners insurance fraud.
What the Right Is Saying
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) acknowledged concerns about the appointment while stopping short of opposing it directly. When asked if he worried Pulte would weaponize the DNI, Thune told reporters: 'We don't need a weaponized DNI, we need professionals there.'
Thune emphasized that any permanent nomination would face the standard confirmation process. 'If they nominate him to take the position permanently, he'll have to go through a confirmation process and hearings and everything else, so we'll see,' he said.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, indicated she had no prior knowledge of Pulte's background in intelligence. 'I don't know whether he has an intel background before that. I truly don't know him at all,' Collins said when informed Pulte heads FHFA.
Thune added that he would seek more information about the administration's thinking on the position but acknowledged Pulte faces a lengthy road if nominated permanently. 'He's got a — as you all know — a lengthy road ahead of him,' Thune said.
What the Numbers Show
The Director of National Intelligence position was created in 2004 following the 9/11 Commission Report to coordinate intelligence across 18 agencies with approximately 100,000 personnel and an annual budget exceeding $60 billion. The role requires Senate confirmation by a simple majority vote.
Pulte's FHFA oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which together back or guarantee nearly half of all U.S. mortgages, representing more than $7 trillion in covered loans.
The Bottom Line
Pulte's appointment as acting DNI places a political ally without intelligence experience at the helm of the nation's spy apparatus. Senate Republicans have signaled skepticism but not opposition, while Democrats have roundly condemned the choice. If nominated permanently, Pulte would face confirmation hearings where his use of FHFA data and lack of national security credentials will likely face intense scrutiny from both parties.