Pulte Draws Mixed Reactions

Dr. Oz said he “is a very sharp, quick study of people.”

On Tuesday morning, President Donald Trump named Bill Pulte, the current director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as the new acting director of National Intelligence. Trump noted Pulte’s experience managing “the safety and soundness of the Markets” as his qualifications for the new role. This news follows Tulsi Gabbard’s unexpected resignation from her role as director of National Intelligence, effective June 30. Gabbard announced on X in May that she would be leaving her position to support her husband, Abraham, following his diagnosis with a rare form of bone cancer. Gabbard wrote on X that her tenure as DNI was focused on “advancing unprecedented transparency and restoring integrity to the intelligence community.” Currently, Pulte serves as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and he is chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two government-sponsored enterprises. Trump noted in selecting Pulte that these enterprises have recently seen an increase of “over 10 Trillion Dollars … a substantial increase from where it was just 12 months ago.” Pulte’s work managing the housing administration involves overseeing almost 51 million residential home mortgages. Pulte will continue in his former positions, as his DNI role is effective on a limited 210-day acting basis under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act. Responses on Capitol Hill to Pulte’s appointment have been mixed. In response to the appointment, Vice President JD Vance posted his enthusiastic approval, saying Pulte “recognizes that the bureaucracy of the intel community must respond to the elected leadership (rather than the other way around).” Additionally, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Trump’s health officer, commented his confidence in the appointment, noting Pulte “is a very sharp, quick study of people, their emotional abilities and their ability to persevere in the face of hardship.” However, not all Republicans share JD Vance’s ardent support of Trump’s pick. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota said, “We do...