Trump says Pulte will not be permanent intelligence chief

President Donald Trump said Thursday that Bill Pulte, his newly appointed acting director of national intelligence, will not be nominated to lead the nation’s intelligence agencies on a permanent basis after the selection drew resistance from Senate Republicans.

“It’s an acting position, it’s not permanent, he’s not going to be permanent because, you know, I don’t think he’d want to be permanent,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “We’re looking at, we’re interviewing people right now. But it’s somebody just to take it over for a little while.”

Trump appointed Pulte to the acting role two days earlier. Pulte, a Trump loyalist, has no known national security or intelligence experience, CBS News reported. He has been serving as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, where he investigated Trump’s perceived political opponents for mortgage fraud and oversaw Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Asked whether Pulte has the national security experience needed for the country’s top intelligence job, Trump defended him.

“I think he does, actually, because he’s smart,” Trump said. “Because a lot of national security — look, I wasn’t greatly experienced in national security and I think I’ve done a really great job with it, a lot of people would say that.”

The president also called Pulte a “person who’s got high integrity” and said he has done a “phenomenal” job running Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The appointment was met with open skepticism from several Republicans at a tense moment on Capitol Hill, where lawmakers are considering an extension of the federal government’s surveillance powers. CBS News reported that Democrats have threatened to slow that process if Pulte is in charge of overseeing the intelligence agencies.

Outgoing Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., questioned Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday about a Politico report from last year that said Bessent had threatened to physically attack Pulte.

“Did you actually tell Pulte you were going to punch him in the face?” Tillis asked during a Capitol Hill hearing.

“No, sir, I actually said it was going to kick his ass,” Bessent replied.

“Good. OK. Good. I share the emotion. Thank you,” Tillis said, adding that he had made clear he would not vote for Pulte’s nomination.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also distanced himself from Pulte during a hearing Wednesday, answering “no” when asked whether he knew Pulte’s name “in the context of the intelligence community.” Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., signaled opposition as well.

“Very few Senate-confirmable positions come with statutory eligibility requirements,” McConnell said in a statement. “There are good reasons why the Director of National Intelligence is one of them. Anyone performing this role of such immense public trust must have the extensive national security experience required by statute, and no nominee who falls short of this requirement will earn my vote.”

A permanent nominee for director of national intelligence would need a simple Senate majority for confirmation. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority, but the early opposition from GOP senators could have complicated Pulte’s path had Trump chosen to nominate him.

Trump said Pulte, while in the acting role, “may find out some things about the rigged elections, etc., etc.” The comment followed scrutiny of outgoing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s presence at an FBI search of an elections center in Fulton County, Georgia, a key county in Trump’s 2020 loss to Joe Biden.

NBC News reported that the FBI raid sought records related to the 2020 presidential election. The director of national intelligence is prohibited from participating in domestic law enforcement, and Gabbard’s appearance drew backlash. A spokesperson for Gabbard said Trump and then-Attorney General Pam Bondi had asked her to be present, while Trump said Gabbard attended “at Pam’s insistence,” referring to Bondi.