Trump says FHFA Director Bill Pulte will not serve as permanent DNI

Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), will not be the permanent director of national intelligence (DNI), President Donald Trump told reporters Thursday, following bipartisan resistance to Pulte’s temporary assignment.

Pulte was appointed this week to serve as acting DNI while also remaining as FHFA director and chairman of the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He is stepping in after Tulsi Gabbard said she will leave the DNI role later this month.

Asked about Pulte’s future in the post, Trump said he “is not going to be permanent” because “I don’t think he’d want to be permanent,” according to multiple media reports.

The appointment has drawn attention because Pulte does not have a traditional intelligence or military background for a job that oversees the U.S. intelligence community. His new department coordinates roughly 20 agencies and advises senior officials on threats such as terrorism, espionage, cyberattacks and foreign influence operations.

Trump also suggested Pulte would focus attention on domestic issues, telling reporters, “He’s a very smart guy, and you may find out some things about the rigged elections,” according to multiple outlets.

Trump said other candidates are being interviewed.

The DNI role requires Senate confirmation. But lawmakers signaled they would be unlikely to approve a Pulte nomination.

Senate Republicans and Democrats clashed Thursday over guardrails on acting appointments. Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) joined Democrats in supporting an amendment to a budget reconciliation package that would bar Senate-confirmed agency heads from simultaneously performing the DNI role in an acting capacity.

The amendment failed in a 49–49 vote.

In the housing finance world, the move prompted concern that FHFA initiatives — including a potential GSE reform effort — could slow. Markets also reacted as shares tied to Fannie and Freddie fell sharply, with investor optimism around a potential stock offering and an eventual exit from conservatorship appearing to cool.