President Donald Trump’s ability to shock and outrage Washington elites is a superpower when it comes to solidifying his political base.
His elevation on Tuesday of Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to serve as America’s new acting top spymaster was therefore a classic political move.
Mystified senators of both parties publicly struggled to comprehend the selection of an official with no obvious qualifications for such a critical role. Pulte lacks background in intelligence, espionage or national security. Sen. Susan Collins, Republican of Maine, told reporters that she was unaware whether Pulte had ever held a security clearance.
CNN reported Tuesday that Trump’s reasoning was simple: He wanted a loyalist that he could trust. And he also sees Pulte playing a role in election security, sources said.
That expectation already has Democrats worried, since Trump is accelerating his baseless claims that November’s midterm elections could be scarred by fraud, and Pulte has shown in his current role that he’s willing to use federal power in his current role to boost politicized investigations into the president’s foes.
