President Donald Trump’s surprise decision to elevate Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte to serve as acting director of national intelligence is raising a new question on Capitol Hill — whether the appointment helps resolve growing tensions inside the intelligence community or makes them worse.The move comes as a bitter internal dispute between the CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has already disrupted intelligence sharing and collaboration on key national security assessments, including analysis related to the war with Iran.Trump announced Tuesday that Pulte, 38, would replace outgoing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard while continuing to lead the federal housing agency and serve as chairman of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Trump praised Pulte’s management experience overseeing more than $10 trillion in housing assets and said he has “deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America.”
But unlike most recent intelligence chiefs, Pulte brings virtually no national security or intelligence background to the role. Instead, he has become one of Trump’s most aggressive political allies, drawing attention for pursuing mortgage fraud allegations against several prominent Trump adversaries, including Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook. Critics have accused him of weaponizing his position to target the president’s political opponents, while supporters have said he is holding high-profile elites and politicians accountable, including James, who campaigned on targeting the president’s business empire in a nearly half-billion dollar civil fraud case.
