Trump Picks Loyalist Pulte as Acting Spy Chief After Gabbard

William Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), during a news conference at the FHFA headquarters in Washington, DC, US, on April 22, 2026. Photo by Eric Lee /Photographer: Eric Lee/Bloomberg

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(Bloomberg) — President Donald Trump appointed Bill Pulte, the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as the acting director of National Intelligence, elevating a loyalist with no national-security background to US spy chief. 

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Trump posted on social media Tuesday that Pulte would also remain in his role as FHFA director and as chairman of the government-administered mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He said Pulte “has deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America,” without providing further explanation of why he picked the home construction heir to lead the nation’s intelligence community.

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Fannie slipped as much as 5.7% and Freddie dropped as much as 5.1% on Tuesday. Both have tumbled more than 30% this year.

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The selection is unconventional for many reasons, including the 38-year-old Pulte’s lack of experience in intelligence and military issues. Beyond Democrats, he’s drawn criticism from Republicans, including White House officials, because he often takes his ideas directly to the president and tries to work beyond his remit. 

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Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune signaled some of that GOP skepticism about Pulte taking over as DNI, which is responsible for oversight of the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies, soon after the announcement came out. 

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“We don’t need a weaponized DNI, we need professionals there,” Thune told reporters. If the White House decides it wants Pulte in the role permanently, he’ll have “a lengthy road ahead of him” to win confirmation, Thune added. 

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Yet Pulte is a loyal ally who frequently travels with the president, and Trump has a history of appointing ardent supporters to the role. Pulte was with the president over the weekend, according to a person familiar. His appointment was pushed by Trump confidant and political operative Roger Stone, the person said. 

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As acting DNI, Pulte could remain in the post for months without requiring Senate confirmation, although people familiar with the situation said he would be a placeholder until a permanent nominee is identified. 

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Not all Republicans were critical. Senator Bill Hagerty of Tennessee praised Pulte as a “high energy” official who “knows how to get things done,” and has the trust and respect of the president, which he called “a critical factor.”

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Trump has never treated the DNI job, which emerged in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, in the way his predecessors did. 

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His previous spy chief, Tulsi Gabbard, announced late last month that she would step down to help her husband confront health issues. Her anti-war views had led to her exclusion from some White House meetings, but she won the president’s praise repeatedly for championing some key initiatives, including targeting perceived presidential enemies, such as former Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan. 

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She also took on some oversight of US election security, going to a polling center in Atlanta during an FBI raid where voter records and other data had been seized.