Who Is Bill Pulte? Trump’s New Intelligence Chief Comes With No National Security Experience, Replaces Tulsi Gabbard

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday appointed a loyal supporter and housing official, Bill Plue, as the new head of US intelligence even though he does not have any real background in national security. Bill Pulte, who currently leads the Federal Housing Finance Agency will replace Tulsi Gabbard who announced last month that she was stepping down in order to take care of her husband who is battling cancer. While announcing his appointment on social media Trump praised Pulte and said he has strong experience dealing with sensitive financial and market-related matters in the country. He said, he “has deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America, the safety and soundness of the Markets.” 

Trump’s New Intelligence Chief Comes With No National Security Experience?

The Director of National Intelligence or DNI leads the whole US intelligence community and serves as the president’s top advisor on intelligence matters. By law, whoever gets that job is supposed to have solid experience in national security. 

Still, Bill Pulte, 38 comes from a well-off home-building family and he does not have any real background in national security. The part that US Democratic lawmakers are pointing out again and again. 

Trump also said Bill Pulte will keep managing his house related duties including running mortgage companies like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. 

A bunch of US media outlets have already described Bill Pulte as Trump’s “attack dog” because of how aggressive he tends to be. 

Who Is Bill Pulte?

Bill Pulte has been acting as the head of the FHFA since March last year. Before all of that, he set up his own investment company and he also sat on the board for PulteGroup, the home construction business his grandfather started.

Reports say that before he joined the Trump administration, Bill Pulte and his spouse donated close to $1 million to Trump’s political campaigns and activities. 

As FHFA director, Bill Pulte has pushed multiple criminal referrals over alleged mortgage fraud, which was aimed at some of Trump’s political opponents. The list, according to reports, included former Congressman Eric Swalwell, Senator Adam Schiff, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Each of them denied the claims pretty firmly. 

Swalwell eventually sued Pulte in November, arguing that Pulte abused his role to invent mortgage fraud accusations against him.

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