President Donald Trump says he is appointing Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and a Trump loyalist whose family has a long history in Detroit and Michigan, as the nation’s acting chief intelligence official.
The 38-year-old Pulte, whose grandfather started Pulte Homes in Detroit in the 1950s and who himself founded the Detroit Blight Authority, is not believed to have any relevant experience in intelligence matters.
Trump announced the appointment on Tuesday, June 2, on his Truth Social website, saying Pulte “has deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America” including a housing finance portfolio for the federal government and government-charted mortgage investment arms that impact financial markets.
Pulte will replace Tulsi Gabbard as direction of the Office of National Intelligence. Gabbard, a former congresswoman, announced on May 22 she would leave her role on June 30 due to her husband’s bone cancer diagnosis.
Trump said Pulte would remain director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and chairman of the Federal National Mortgage Association, otherwise known as Fannie Mae, and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, otherwise known as Freddie Mac, while also serving as director of national intelligence.
Since taking office last year, Pulte has been a remarkably visible member of the Trump administration, given that his role is typically more circumspect and out of the headlines. He was a central figure in raising claims of potential mortgage fraud against Lisa Cook, a Michigan State University professor and member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in a case still before the U.S. Supreme Court; the Government Accountability Office said it was investigating Pulte to determine if he improperly used his position and its resources to investigate people who Trump wanted removed or targeted.
There were also reports of an altercation between Pulte and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who apparently threatened to punch Pulte for badmouthing him to the president.
This story will be updated.
Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on X @tsspangler.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Trump names Bill Pulte acting intelligence director in surprise turn
Reporting by Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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