President Donald Trump announced his decision to appoint Bill Pulte, Chairman of Freddie Mac, as acting Director of National Intelligence. This follows Tulsi Gabbard’s planned departure at the end of June.
Trump expressed his intentions for Pulte to initiate the reduction of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) before a permanent director is appointed. He described the office as ‘unnecessary and/or too big’ and emphasized a need for streamlining.
“I’d like to see it smaller,” Trump stated. “There are a lot of people in there that shouldn’t be there,” he noted, referring to holdovers from previous administrations.
Pulte’s temporary position does not require Senate confirmation and is limited to 210 days. Trump mentioned that Pulte’s temporary status could afford him more flexibility in implementing changes.
The White House has not clarified whether Pulte will be a candidate for the permanent role of Director of National Intelligence.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton supports the effort to reduce the agency. He wrote on social media, “President Trump is right: the ODNI has grown far beyond its original mandate.” Cotton advocates for downsizing the agency, if not eliminating it entirely.
ODNI was established in 2004 to improve coordination among U.S. intelligence agencies. The office currently oversees 18 agencies. At the start of the Trump administration, ODNI employed about 1,800 people, but Gabbard reduced the workforce by about 25%.
The choice of Pulte as acting DNI surprised several lawmakers due to his lack of intelligence or national security experience. Concerns were raised by figures such as former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Mark Warner, who criticized the dual role of directing both mortgage regulation and intelligence.
Trump remains confident that Pulte’s temporary role equips him to initiate the desired changes in ODNI prior to the confirmation of a permanent director.
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