Bill Pulte, the administration’s chief housing regulator, is set to become acting director of national intelligence by the end of the month, according to three people with knowledge of Trump’s decision. Pulte will keep his current role as head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency while overseeing a network of 18 agencies, including the CIA and the National Security Agency — a position created after the Sept. 11 attacks to consolidate and better share intelligence.
Pulte has no known work experience in intelligence, the military or national security. Sources describe him as part of a small circle of trusted allies who won Trump’s confidence by taking swift action against his prominent Democratic critics. He is described as a regular presence at the White House and at Trump’s properties in Florida. “Trump is always with Pulte and always saying we’re running out of time to get things done,” one person familiar with the matter told NBC News.
What the Left Is Saying
Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, warned that Pulte will use his position to go after Trump’s enemies, especially ahead of midterm elections. “Think what he can do with all of the information from the intelligence agencies,” Warner said. “Our intelligence work has always been bipartisan. Are we going to finally hit the gag reflex? I hope.”
Democratic lawmakers and civil rights advocates have expressed concern that the Trump administration might try to use intelligence agencies to allege a foreign threat to elections as potential rationale for federal interference. These fears were reinforced after the National Intelligence Director’s Office obtained and examined voting machines from Puerto Rico and after former DNI Tulsi Gabbard was present when FBI agents seized ballots from the 2020 election in Georgia.
Former CIA officer John Sipher said Pulte’s track record “suggests he’s meant to run a detective agency for the president using the director of national intelligence office.” Sipher warned that someone with a political agenda could selectively declassify documents to support a false narrative while withholding information that might provide context. “The problem with the intelligence community is that it’s all classified, so they can choose what’s public and what isn’t,” he said.
What the Right Is Saying
The White House defended Trump’s choice despite skeptics from both parties in Congress. “The President chooses the best and most talented people to serve in his Cabinet,” Davis Ingle, a White House spokesman, said in a statement. “Bill Pulte is a great selection and he will do a great job on behalf of the American people.”
Steve Bannon, a longtime Trump adviser who shaped his 2016 campaign, praised the appointment as rewarding a loyalist. “He gets things done and brings ideas to the president,” Bannon told NBC News. “That’s what President Trump is looking for.”
Longtime Trump ally Roger Stone described Pulte as an ODNI director “in the mold of Gabbard who is committed to releasing the truth and is loyal to the president.” In a New York Post interview, Trump called Pulte “very talented” and said he would accelerate declassification of intelligence. Trump also praised Pulte’s oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Some Republican lawmakers voiced support for Pulte. Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio posted on X that he believes Pulte “will lead the DNI with integrity, cripple the deep state, and always prioritize America’s national security.”
What the Numbers Show
Pulte will oversee 18 intelligence agencies in his new role, a position created after Sept. 11 to consolidate intelligence sharing.
At the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Pulte levied mortgage fraud allegations against several of Trump’s perceived political enemies, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and former Rep. Eric Swalwell, as well as Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.
Pulte has been named only as acting director and has not yet been nominated for the permanent position, which would require Senate confirmation. The appointment comes as Congress prepares to vote on reauthorizing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a controversial law enabling government electronic surveillance of foreign actors and terrorism suspects without warrants.
The Bottom Line
Pulte’s appointment highlights Trump’s pattern of elevating loyalists to key positions regardless of traditional qualifications. While his supporters say he brings urgency and allegiance to the administration’s priorities, critics from both parties question whether someone with no intelligence background should have access to classified information and surveillance tools.
The acting director will focus on foreign threats to U.S. elections, investigating the so-called deep state, and coordinating intelligence work — all while his track record of targeting political opponents through regulatory actions raises concerns about potential weaponization of intelligence agencies. Whether Pulte can secure permanent confirmation remains uncertain, with several Republicans indicating he would face an uphill fight in the Senate.