JUNE 2, 2026
Trump appoints FHFA Director Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence
President Trump announced Tuesday on Truth Social that he is appointing Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence, replacing Tulsi Gabbard, who resigned last month. Pulte will retain his FHFA role and his positions as chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while serving in the acting DNI post. If Trump nominates Pulte for the position on a permanent basis, Senate confirmation would be required.
In his Truth Social announcement, Trump cited Pulte's "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" as his rationale for the appointment. Pulte is the grandson of the founder of PulteGroup, one of the country's largest homebuilders, and was confirmed earlier this year to lead the FHFA, which regulates Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Bank System.
Gabbard, a former Hawaii congresswoman and onetime Democrat, announced her departure last month after her husband was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of bone cancer. Her resignation is scheduled to take effect June 30. The Washington Examiner reported that Deputy Director of National Intelligence Aaron Lukas had previously been tapped to replace Gabbard before Trump's announcement of Pulte.
During his tenure at the FHFA, Pulte made criminal referrals to the Justice Department alleging mortgage fraud against several officials, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, Sen. Adam Schiff, Rep. Eric Swalwell, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook — all individuals who had previously opposed or investigated Trump. All five denied the allegations. The prosecution against James was dismissed after a federal judge concluded that the prosecutor who filed the charges had been illegally appointed; other referrals have not yielded criminal charges, according to the Associated Press. The Government Accountability Office opened an investigation into Pulte over possible misuse of authority, CNN reported.