House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Wednesday forcefully rebuked Democrats for suggesting that President Trump’s decision to install Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence could derail the fast-approaching deadline to renew the nation’s foreign surveillance powers. Speaking at a press conference, Johnson called the Democratic position “absolutely outrageous” and accused the minority party of prioritizing political grievances over national security.
The clash comes as Congress faces a June 12 expiration date for Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a critical tool for gathering foreign intelligence. Johnson warned that letting the authority lapse would “keep Americans safe” and labeled Democratic resistance a “constitutional crisis.” He argued that withholding votes over an interim appointment—which he described as the president’s prerogative—amounts to “playing politics” with the country’s safety.
“It is the most important intelligence tool that we have,” Johnson said. “The idea that they would try to play politics right now because they don’t like the president’s choice of an appointment is absolutely stunning to me. These are not reasonable leaders over here. They will use pain for the American people for political purposes, and this is the latest example.”
Trump’s decision to elevate Pulte—who currently leads the Federal Housing Finance Agency and has no known background in intelligence or national security—was announced Tuesday. Pulte replaces Tulsi Gabbard, who stepped down weeks ago to care for her husband battling a rare bone cancer. The move has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats, who question both Pulte’s qualifications and the timing given the FISA deadline.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) did not hold back, calling the appointment “another indication of how unserious, reckless and dangerous Donald Trump and his administration are with respect to the national security of the American people.” Jeffries added that Pulte is “deeply unserious, deeply dangerous and deeply unqualified,” and warned that “his supposed elevation as the acting Director of National Intelligence will jeopardize the effort to pass surveillance legislation that was already on life support.”
Republican leaders acknowledge they will need at least some Democratic votes in both chambers—seven in the Senate—to push a FISA reauthorization bill through before the deadline. Johnson expressed confidence that the president has the right to make interim appointments, but Democrats remain skeptical. When pressed by Punchbowl News reporter Jake Sherman on whether Pulte is qualified, Johnson deflected, saying, “The president has the prerogative and the choice on who he appoints to these positions, and this would be an interim appointment.”
Sherman noted that Trump did not characterize the role as interim, only acting, and pointed out that Democrats had also opposed Gabbard. Johnson shot back, “The Democrats wouldn’t trust Jesus.” When Sherman countered that Pulte has not been formally nominated, Johnson replied, “They’re playing political games,” and accused Democrats of suffering from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
“I can’t think of a single person that they would willingly go along with right now. That’s where they are, and so it is a constitutional crisis, really,” Johnson said.
The episode underscores the broader tensions between the White House and congressional Democrats as FISA’s renewal hangs in the balance. For more on the Democratic response to Pulte’s appointment, see Jeffries: Pulte as Acting DNI Threatens FISA Deal, National Security. Meanwhile, the controversy adds to the ongoing debate over intelligence leadership, as detailed in Trump Taps Housing Chief Pulte to Lead Intelligence Amid Bipartisan Alarm.
Johnson closed his remarks with a direct appeal: “I’m calling on Democrat colleagues, put the politics aside for the sake of FISA reauthorization. This is the statute that keeps Americans safe, and if we want to prevent terrorist attacks in the homeland, we cannot allow that to go dark.”
