Trump Taps Housing Regulator Bill Pulte as Acting Intelligence Chief

CNBC reported Tuesday that President Donald Trump has selected Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence. The move hands oversight of the entire U.S. intelligence apparatus to a loyalist with no prior intelligence background.

A Triple Role With No Precedent

Pulte will simultaneously hold three positions. He retains his post as FHFA director and his chairmanship of federally backed mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Trump announced the appointment through a Truth Social post, citing Pulte’s financial stewardship as his primary qualification. The White House did not immediately clarify when Pulte’s DNI duties would formally begin.

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Gabbard’s Departure Sets the Stage

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced in May that she would step down from the role, with her resignation set to take effect on June 30. Trump had initially indicated that Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Aaron Lukas would assume acting leadership once Gabbard departed. It remains unclear whether Lukas will stay in his current post or step aside entirely for Pulte.

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Trump’s Case for a Finance Man Running Intelligence

In his Truth Social announcement, Trump argued that Pulte’s experience overseeing market stability and managing more than $10 Trillion in assets at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac demonstrated the judgment required for the intelligence role. The president framed that financial record as evidence of an ability to handle the nation’s most sensitive matters. Critics are likely to question whether balance-sheet expertise translates to running an intelligence community that spans eighteen federal agencies.

Background: Pulte’s Rise Through the Trump Administration

Pulte, a grandson of homebuilding billionaire William Pulte, came to Washington as a Trump loyalist with a profile built largely on social media activity and real estate wealth. His tenure at FHFA drew attention for an aggressive approach to personnel and policy at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The FHFA regulates those two government-sponsored enterprises, which together underpin a vast share of U.S. mortgage financing. Adding the DNI role to that portfolio would mark one of the most unconventional leadership arrangements in recent U.S. national security history.

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