Washington Examiner chief political correspondent Byron York argued the new face for the director of national intelligence, Bill Pulte, lacks qualifications for the position.
“It seems like a pretty poor choice here,” York said on Fox News’s Special Report Tuesday.
Recommended Stories
President Donald Trump tapped Pulte for the position after the previous director, Tulsi Gabbard, resigned following her husband’s cancer diagnosis.
Pulte is the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but has come under fire for his lack of international security experience.
York cited a clip host John Roberts played from Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), where he said he doesn’t see any of the qualifications that Pulte would have for the position.
“I don’t either,” York agreed. “I’m not sure exactly what explains it.”
York also criticized Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz for dodging questions about Pulte.
When asked about the appointment, Oz responded vaguely.
“I think Bill is a great guy. I know him socially, I have not worked with him in his current job, but I do trust the president’s judgment. He is a very sharp and quick study of people, their emotional abilities, and their ability to persevere in the face of hardship. So, I have confidence in his decision,” Oz said.
York joked that he doesn’t think Oz is “going to give up his day job.”
CONGRESS BLINDSIDED BY TRUMP’S PULTE PICK AND QUESTIONS QUALIFICATIONS FOR INTELLIGENCE CHIEF
York also pointed out that Pulte would still have to be confirmed by the Senate if he is nominated for the position.
Currently, Pulte only serves in an acting capacity and has not been named permanently to the role.
