Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) on Wednesday pushed back against the notion of a politicized intelligence chief, telling reporters that “we don’t need a weaponized” director of national intelligence (DNI) when asked about President Trump’s decision to install Bill Pulte as acting head of the U.S. intelligence community.
Pulte, a homebuilder and current director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), was tapped by Trump to temporarily lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. But Thune made clear that any permanent appointment would trigger a rigorous Senate confirmation process.
“If they nominate him to take the position permanently, he’ll have to go through a confirmation process and hearings and everything else, so, we’ll see,” Thune told reporters on Capitol Hill.
The South Dakota Republican was responding to concerns that Pulte has used his role at the FHFA to dig into mortgage records of Trump’s political adversaries, including Democratic lawmakers and appointees. When asked directly whether he feared Pulte would “weaponize” the DNI, Thune replied: “We don’t need a weaponized DNI, we need professionals there.”
Thune added that he had only recently learned of the move and planned to gather more information. “Again, I just heard about it. I’ll try and get more information about the current state of their thinking about that position,” he said. “If he’s somebody they want in that position permanently, he’s got a — as you all know — a lengthy road ahead of him.”
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, admitted she knew little about Pulte’s background. “I have no knowledge of this individual at all,” she said. After being told that Pulte heads the FHFA, Collins remarked: “I don’t know whether he has an intel background before that. I truly don’t know him at all.”
Democrats were far more pointed. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), vice chair of the Intelligence Committee, issued a blistering statement calling Pulte’s appointment “a terrible choice.” Warner argued that Pulte has already used federal power to pursue “the president’s grievances” and lend credibility to dubious prosecutions of Trump’s perceived opponents. “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,” Warner said.
Pulte has raised questions about mortgage compliance by prominent Democrats, including Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). He alleged that Cook, whom President Biden appointed as the first Black woman to the Fed’s board, had improperly designated two homes as her primary residence to secure better mortgage rates. CNN reported last year that Pulte also issued two criminal referrals to the Justice Department accusing James of homeowners insurance fraud.
The controversy comes as Trump’s intelligence leadership faces broader scrutiny. For more on the political fallout, see Democrats Blast Trump's Pick of Housing Chief Pulte to Lead Intelligence. The move also coincides with other high-profile appointments; read about Trump Shifts DNI to Pulte; Rubio, Blanche Face Hill as Primaries Open in Six States.
Thune’s comments echo his broader push to depoliticize federal agencies. Earlier, he pressed the White House to scrap a $1.8 billion fund aimed at countering foreign influence, arguing it could be used against political opponents. That effort is detailed in Thune Presses White House to Scrap $1.8 Billion Anti-Weaponization Fund.
Pulte, heir to the Pulte Homes fortune, has never served in intelligence. His appointment as acting DNI does not require Senate approval, but any permanent nomination would face a tough confirmation battle, particularly given his lack of experience and the partisan tensions surrounding his use of mortgage data.
