Trump appoints Bill Pulte acting DNI

President Donald Trump said on June 2 that he was appointing Bill Pulte, the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as acting director of national intelligence, replacing Tulsi Gabbard. Reuters and the Associated Press reported the move on Tuesday, describing Pulte as a Trump ally with no direct national security background. Trump announced the decision on Truth Social, according to Reuters, after Gabbard had previously said she would leave the administration on June 30. ODNI’s public leadership page still listed Gabbard as director and Aaron Lukas as principal deputy director when it was last crawled. ### Who is Bill Pulte, and what job does he hold now? Bill Pulte is the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the independent regulator that oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, according to Reuters, NPR affiliate reporting and NOS. NOS said Pulte previously worked at PulteGroup, the homebuilding company founded by his grandfather, and Reuters described him as a political loyalist elevated from a housing-regulation post. NPR affiliate reporting said his FHFA biography lists housing and philanthropy experience, but no intelligence work. (usnews.com) Trump said Pulte would keep his existing housing role while taking on the intelligence job, NOS reported. NOS also said Pulte had named himself chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while serving at FHFA. ### Why is the appointment drawing attention? Reuters reported that Pulte has no national security experience even though the director of national intelligence oversees the U.S. intelligence community. (usnews.com) AP similarly described the choice as a surprise, and GovExec said the role covers 18 intelligence agencies including the CIA and NSA. The ODNI website says the DNI serves as head of the intelligence community. (nos.nl) Trump wrote on Truth Social that Pulte had “extensive experience managing sensitive matters in America,” according to Reuters and NOS. NOS said U.S. media had characterized him as inexperienced in national security matters. ### What happened to Tulsi Gabbard? Tulsi Gabbard said in May that she would resign effective June 30, according to Reuters material carried by NOS. (usnews.com) NOS reported at the time that Trump had said Aaron Lukas, the principal deputy director of national intelligence, would become acting director after Gabbard’s departure. On June 2, however, Trump instead named Pulte to the acting role. Aaron Lukas was confirmed by the Senate in July 2025 as principal deputy director of national intelligence, according to an ODNI press release. That made him the publicly identified deputy to Gabbard before Trump’s new announcement. ### What else is known about Pulte’s relationship with Trump? Financial Times reported, as cited by NOS, that Pulte was a significant donor during Trump’s 2024 campaign. (nos.nl) NOS also said U.S. media had reported that, as FHFA director, Pulte oversaw an inquiry involving Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook after Trump sought to remove her in 2025 over alleged mortgage fraud; NOS said a judge found those claims unsubstantiated and allowed Cook to remain in office while the case continued on appeal. (odni.gov) Reuters described Pulte as a political loyalist. Politico reported that Pulte would take over for Gabbard as acting DNI while continuing to lead FHFA. ### When does the change take effect? June 2 reporting did not specify a start date for Pulte’s acting tenure. Reuters said only that Trump appointed him on Tuesday, while NOS said Trump announced the move on his social-media platform without giving a date for the handover. (nos.nl) June 30 remains the date in Gabbard’s resignation letter, according to NOS. (usnews.com) The next public markers are likely to be an update from the White House, a change on ODNI’s leadership page, or a formal notice setting out when Pulte begins serving in the acting role. (nos.nl)