Republican senators are expressing shock and dismay at President Trump's decision to tap Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as the acting director of national intelligence (DNI). Several GOP lawmakers, speaking on condition of anonymity, described Pulte as "unqualified" given his lack of any background in national security or intelligence work.
The move, which caught many on Capitol Hill off guard, comes as the U.S. remains locked in a tense standoff with Iran. Pulte, a loyal Trump ally who has used his position to pursue mortgage fraud allegations against the president's political adversaries—including New York Attorney General Letitia James and former Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.)—now stands to oversee the CIA, NSA, DIA, and parts of the FBI.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), a senior member of the Intelligence Committee, acknowledged that the Senate has no role in confirming acting officials but made clear his skepticism. "I see no evidence of any qualifications for that job," Cornyn said.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) echoed that sentiment, saying, "The best I can tell you is he's not qualified. I don't know anything about him other than that." Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) expressed similar surprise, noting she was unfamiliar with any intelligence background in Pulte's résumé. "I'm not familiar that there is anything in his background that would qualify him as one who would be the head of our national intelligence," she said.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), another Intelligence Committee member, said she doesn't even know if Pulte holds a security clearance. "I do not know Mr. Pulte at all. I don't know whether he has any intelligence or military background. I don't even know whether he has a security clearance," she said Tuesday.
Pulte has emerged as a controversial figure in the Trump administration for his role in combing through mortgage records to target the president's foes. He has leveled allegations against Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, James, and Schiff. Abbe Lowell, an attorney for Cook and James, has called Pulte's actions "outrageous government conduct" and a violation of the Fifth Amendment, and has sent a letter to the Justice Department accusing Pulte of targeting Trump's enemies.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), a member of the Banking Committee, criticized Pulte's focus on Cook. "I got a real issue with that. I think it's a time of waste of time and money that he appears to have been part of," Tillis said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) warned against weaponizing the DNI and suggested Pulte would face a tough confirmation battle if nominated permanently. "We don't need a weaponized DNI, we need professionals there," Thune told reporters. "If he's somebody they want in that position permanently, he's got a—as you all know—lengthy road ahead of him."
Democrats have also blasted the pick. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), vice chair of the Intelligence Committee, said in a statement, "Elevating him to oversee the Intelligence Community makes clear that this president is not looking for an intelligence leader who will follow the facts or speak truth to power, but rather someone who will be willing to shape intelligence around the president's wishes, regardless of the cost to the American people."
For more on the political fallout, see Democrats Blast Trump's Pick of Housing Chief Pulte to Lead Intelligence and Ossoff's Viral Anti-Trump Speech Signals Rise as Democratic Star Ahead of 2026.
