Trump Names Bill Pulte as Intelligence Director, Calls for Mass Staff Firings
President suggests employees who worked for Democratic administrations should be terminated as his pick takes temporary control of national intelligence.
President Trump announced Friday that he wants his choice to temporarily run the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Bill Pulte, to conduct mass firings of employees who 'shouldn't be there,' marking the most expansive comments the president has made about his unconventional intelligence pick. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump specifically suggested that employees who worked for previous Democratic presidents were among those who should be terminated from the intelligence community.
Trump told the Journal that Pulte, who currently runs the Federal Housing Finance Agency and has no known national security experience, would be 'less shackled' by constraints compared to a permanent appointee. The president explained that serving in a temporary capacity 'sort of gives you more power, you know, for a somewhat limited period of time.' Trump announced Pulte as his choice to replace Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence on Monday, but has indicated he will not nominate Pulte for permanent Senate confirmation.
The selection of Pulte has raised eyebrows throughout the intelligence community, as he lacks the traditional background typically expected for the nation's top intelligence position. Since Pulte has been previously Senate-confirmed for his current role at the Federal Housing Finance Agency, he can serve in the intelligence director position for up to 210 days without additional confirmation. This temporary status appears to be part of Trump's strategy to implement rapid changes within the intelligence apparatus.
Pulte has spent more than a year identifying what he has called crimes committed by people Trump views as political enemies, including those who investigated the president or worked within institutions like the Federal Reserve that Trump maintains operate with political motives against him. This background as what sources describe as a 'loyal attack dog' for Trump suggests the president intends to use Pulte's temporary appointment to pursue significant personnel changes within the intelligence community.
The announcement comes as Trump continues his broader effort to reshape the federal workforce, particularly targeting employees he believes are politically opposed to his agenda. The intelligence community has been a particular focus of Trump's criticism, as he has repeatedly claimed that career professionals within agencies like the CIA and FBI worked to undermine his previous presidency. The selection of Pulte signals Trump's intention to take aggressive action against federal employees he views as disloyal, using temporary appointments to bypass traditional Senate oversight of key national security positions.
