Former CIA Director Leon Panetta launched a blistering critique Thursday of President Trump's decision to install Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence, calling the housing finance chief a “political hack” with “absolutely no business” overseeing the U.S. intelligence community.
Panetta, who also served as Defense secretary under President Obama, told NPR's Morning Edition that Pulte's appointment threatens to undermine the integrity of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), which coordinates 18 spy agencies. “I think the biggest danger is that you’re getting somebody who’s basically a political hack who’s going to go into this area without any experience [or] understanding about the value of intelligence,” Panetta said. “He’s simply going to look at intelligence as a weapon to go after political enemies.”
Pulte, currently director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, was tapped after former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard resigned from the role last month. His nomination has drawn sharp criticism from Democrats and skepticism from some Republicans, who question his qualifications for a post that requires deep national security expertise. Panetta warned that the move could cripple the DNI: “The best way to cripple the DNI is to appoint somebody who has absolutely no intelligence experience. That’s a death nail for the DNI and what it was designed to do.”
During his tenure at the FHFA, Pulte leveraged mortgage fraud allegations against several of Trump's political adversaries, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Federal Reserve board member Lisa Cook. Critics say this pattern underscores his willingness to use government authority for political retribution. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) acknowledged the uphill battle for confirmation, telling reporters Tuesday: “Well, we don’t need a weaponized DNI, we need professionals there.”
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, expressed alarm that Pulte “has demonstrated not just willingness but eagerness to use the authorities of government to pursue political retribution.” In a statement, Warner added: “Americans have every reason to worry about what happens when the official charged with overseeing everything from counterterrorism to foreign election threats is chosen for his willingness to advance the president’s political agenda rather than his experience.”
FISA Renewal in Jeopardy
The controversy over Pulte's appointment is colliding with a critical deadline for renewing the nation's warrantless surveillance powers under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), set to expire on June 15. Lawmakers on both sides say the pick could derail negotiations. Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, called the timing “stupid”: “I can’t imagine a stupider thing to do, nine days away from the authority expiring, than to put atop of the intelligence community somebody who has a known track record of weaponizing government against political opponents.”
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has accused Democrats of endangering FISA renewal by using Pulte as a pretext to block the legislation. But House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) countered that Pulte's role as acting DNI threatens both the deal and national security. The standoff highlights the deepening partisan divide over intelligence oversight.
Panetta's remarks echo broader concerns that Trump is politicizing intelligence agencies. The former CIA chief's warning comes as GOP senators express shock over the selection of a housing regulator with no intelligence background to lead the nation's spy network. With the FISA deadline looming and bipartisan alarm rising, Pulte's confirmation battle is set to test the limits of Trump's influence over Senate Republicans.
