Trump appoints Director of Housing Finance Agency as Acting DNI after Gabbard's resignation
Washington DC, June 2
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced the appointment of William J Pulte, currently the Director of the US Federal Housing Finance Agency and Chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as the Acting Director of National Intelligence after the former DNI Tulsi Gabbard submitted her resignation last month.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Pulte would take charge of the intelligence post following the exit of Gabbard from the position while continuing in his existing roles at the FHFA and as Chairman of the two major US housing finance institutions.
Donald Trump said Pulte brings extensive experience in managing sensitive financial and national responsibilities.
"I am appointing the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and Chairman of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, William J. Pulte, to serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence. William has deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America, the safety and soundness of the Markets, and over 10 Trillion Dollars at Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, a substantial increase from where it was just 12 months ago," Trump stated in his post.
He added that Pulte would continue to serve in his current roles during his tenure as Acting DNI.
"During this period, he will remain Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and Chairman of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac. Congratulations to Director Pulte!" the post added.
The appointment comes days after Tulsi Gabbard, who will be holding the DNI position till June 30, tendered her resignation to support her husband, Abraham Williams, who has been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer.
In her resignation letter, Gabbard thanked Trump for the opportunity to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence over the past year and a half and said she would ensure a smooth transition before leaving office.
"Thank you for your understanding during this deeply personal and difficult time for our family," she wrote.
During her tenure as DNI, Gabbard undertook efforts aimed at restructuring the intelligence community, including reducing the size of the agency and dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes within the intelligence apparatus.
Gabbard also oversaw the declassification of more than half a million pages of government records related to matters including the Trump-Russia investigation and the assassinations of former US President John F Kennedy and Senator Robert F Kennedy.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Tulsi Gabbard stepping down for family reasons is understandable. Cancer is no joke - my uncle battled it for two years. She did some good work declassifying those JFK files though. India should take note of how transparency works in democracies.
Reducing DEI programmes in intelligence? That sounds like a step backwards. Diversity brings different perspectives, especially important in intelligence work where you need to understand various cultures. But maybe that's just my opinion.
Over $10 trillion at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? That's more than India's entire GDP! Maybe having someone who manages such huge finances isn't such a bad idea for intelligence. Money and secrets often go together, na?
I'm curious about this "restructuring" of the intelligence community. Trump seems to be consolidating power by putting his loyalists in key positions. India has seen similar moves. Let's see how it plays out - could be efficiency or could be trouble.
Gaah, another political appointment in intelligence. At this rate, they'll have a chef running the CIA next! 🤦♀️ On a serious note, I hope Pulte is qualified for this dual role. Handling housing and intelligence simultaneously sounds like a recipe for burnout.
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