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.”
