Housing finance guru Bill Pulte captured President Donald Trump‘s attention by referring the commander in chief’s political enemies to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution over allegations of mortgage fraud.
But Pulte, a frequent flyer on Air Force One, has used his political savvy and Trump’s favor to leverage an otherwise lackluster role as Federal Housing Finance Agency director and chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into a Cabinet-level position: acting director of national intelligence.
Recommended Stories
Roger Stone has taken credit for Pulte’s meteoric rise to the upper echelons of the intelligence community, despite concerns regarding the status of his security clearance.
But a source close to the White House told the Washington Examiner Pulte got the job because, in part, he asked for it.
“He likes Pulte. He has a soft spot for Pulte,” the source said. “Clearly, Pulte obviously wanted it, and Trump was like, ‘Sure, why not.’ I don’t know if the Senate’s pushback will work or if it’ll just anger Trump and make him dig in his heels.”
That explanation is doing little to reassure lawmakers who question whether Pulte possesses the traditional qualifications for one of the government’s most sensitive national security jobs.
Republican senators, some of whom were already rankled by Trump’s now-defunct anti-weaponization fund and his endorsement of Ken Paxton in Texas’s Senate race, have expressed skepticism regarding Pulte’s credentials.
“I don’t see any evidence of qualifications for that job, but I’m willing to, willing to listen,” Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Paxton’s former foe in that Senate race, told reporters.
Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) similarly called Pulte an “interesting choice.”
The White House on Tuesday reiterated that Trump “chooses the best and most talented people to serve in his Cabinet.”
“That is why this administration has achieved record successes for the American people,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle told the Washington Examiner. “Bill Pulte is a great selection and he will do a great job on behalf of the American people.”
During the past 18 months, Pulte has developed a reputation as a political attack dog for Trump after he alleged New York Attorney General Letitia James, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook committed mortgage fraud, even though members of his family had similar discrepancies on their own applications.
Those actions have Democrats worried that the powers of the director of national intelligence could be weaponized against the president’s political opponents.
“With more access to more private information, Pulte may simply use that to do more damage to more American citizens for the sole reason that Donald Trump has targeted them,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) said.
Pulte’s aggressive style has not endeared him to everyone inside the administration. He has been cited as an influence behind Trump’s efforts to fire Fed Chairman Jerome Powell and his proposal for a 50-year mortgage, positions that reportedly put him at odds with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. According to reports, tensions became so heated that Bessent nearly punched Pulte during a dinner last September at the MAGA club, the Executive Branch.
Regardless, Pulte remains a favorite of the president, a status that appears to have helped him beat out more experienced candidates to oversee the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The position oversees the CIA and the broader 18-agency intelligence community while serving as the president’s chief intelligence adviser.
Trumpworld insiders said the most likely candidate for the role could have been CIA Director John Ratcliffe. The former Texas congressman held the role for the last year of Trump’s first term and impressed the president that he was given control of the CIA upon Trump’s return to the White House.
WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT BILL PULTE, TRUMP’S PICK TO BE ACTING ODNI CHIEF
But federal law prohibits Ratcliffe from holding the post. Even if possible, allies of the president say Ratcliffe would have likely turned down the job.
Those people described the DNI role as a bureaucratic, intelligence-sharing position, while the CIA director has “real power” through its field operations.
David Sivak contributed to this report.
