President Donald Trump will appoint Bill Pulte to succeed Tulsi Gabbard as acting director of National Intelligence, he announced Tuesday.
Pulte, the current Federal Housing Finance Agency director, would stay on in his current role, as well as chair of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, Trump said.
“William 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,” the president said in a post online.
Pulte is a close ally of Trump’s and has served at FHFA since March 2025, after being confirmed by the Senate in a 56-43 vote with three Democrats voting him through.
The director of National Intelligence is a Cabinet role that would require Senate approval, but since Trump named Pulte as acting director, he can bypass a Senate confirmation for now.
During his tenure leading the housing agency, Pulte has issued criminal referrals alleging mortgage and insurance fraud against several Democrats, including Sen. Adam Schiff, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Federal Reserve member Lisa Cook, The Associated Press noted.
It’s unclear what national security expertise Pulte will bring to the position.
Gabbard, a former Democratic Hawaiian congresswoman, resigned from her position as the country’s top intelligence official late last month, citing her husband’s recent cancer diagnosis.
She will leave her position at the end of June to care for her husband. In her resignation letter on X, she said she was “deeply grateful” to Trump for trusting her with the role.
Gabbard is the fourth Cabinet member to leave the Trump administration in his second term, following former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer.
In the past, Pulte has been scrutinized for accusing his grandfather’s widow of insider trading. There are also reports that he’s come into conflict with other Cabinet members. Last September, Politico reported on an incident in which Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened to punch Pulte after a disagreement.
His appointment to the top intelligence position comes as the United States has yet to strike a formal deal to end the war with Iran, the situation with Israel and Lebanon remains unsteady, and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war continues in Europe.
