Trump taps Bill Pulte as DNI nominee

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he was appointing Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to serve as acting director of national intelligence. The move would place a housing regulator with no known intelligence background atop the U.S. intelligence community, replacing Tulsi Gabbard, who news outlets said had announced plans to leave the post at the end of June. Trump said Pulte would keep his current jobs running the FHFA and chairing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The White House had not, as of Tuesday, posted a separate formal nomination notice for Pulte to the permanent DNI job. ### Who is Bill Pulte, and what job does he hold now? William J. Pulte was sworn in on March 14, 2025, as the fifth director of the FHFA after Senate confirmation, according to the agency’s official biography. The FHFA says he oversees Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Banks. Before entering government, the agency says, Pulte worked in homebuilding, housing products and community development, founded Pulte Capital Partners and served on the board of Pulte Homes. (cnbc.com) Trump’s Tuesday move would add the intelligence portfolio to those duties. CNBC and Politico reported that Trump said Pulte would remain FHFA director and chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while serving in the intelligence role. ### What does the DNI actually do? The Office of the Director of National Intelligence says the DNI serves as head of the U.S. intelligence community and principal intelligence adviser to the president, the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council. (fhfa.gov) ODNI says the office oversees implementation of the National Intelligence Program and is charged with setting intelligence priorities, coordinating with foreign intelligence services and ensuring timely intelligence reaches the president, agencies and Congress. (cnbc.com) A Congressional Research Service brief says the DNI oversees and directs the 18 elements of the intelligence community. The same CRS brief says federal law provides that the DNI, appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate, “shall have extensive national security expertise.” ### What reason did Trump give for choosing Pulte? Trump said in his Truth Social announcement, as quoted by CNBC and Politico, that Pulte had “deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America” and cited his oversight of “over 10 Trillion Dollars at Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac.” Trump framed that financial-management record as the basis for the appointment. (odni.gov) (congress.gov) The Truth Social post itself was not fully accessible through search preview, but multiple major outlets published matching excerpts from it on Tuesday. Those reports also said Trump had previously indicated that Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Aaron Lukas would take over in an acting capacity after Gabbard’s departure. ### Is this an acting appointment or a Senate-confirmed nomination? (cnbc.com) Tuesday’s reports described the move as an acting appointment, not a Senate-submitted nomination for the permanent job. The White House nominations page showed entries through June 1, 2026, but no public nomination notice for Pulte as DNI in the material reviewed. ODNI’s public leadership page still listed Tulsi Gabbard as director on Tuesday. (cnbc.com) That page also identifies the principal deputy DNI role, but the administration had not publicly clarified when Pulte would take over or how the leadership handoff would work. ### What happens next? June 30 is the date CNBC reported for Gabbard’s planned departure from the DNI post. Any permanent nomination would require Senate confirmation, according to ODNI and CRS descriptions of the office. (whitehouse.gov) Until the White House issues a formal personnel notice or the Senate receives a nomination, the next concrete marker is the administration’s clarification of when Pulte would begin serving and whether he will be put forward for the job permanently. (dni.gov) (cnbc.com)