Key facts
- Sen. Jon Ossoff stated that President Trump's appointment of Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence increases the risk of a terrorist attack.
- Ossoff described Pulte as a "thug," "hack," and "partisan loyalist" with no intelligence or national security background.
- Pulte previously served as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and pushed for probes into mortgage fraud allegations against Trump's perceived enemies.
- President Trump nominated Jay Clayton for the permanent DNI role but postponed his Senate Intelligence Committee hearing.
- Trump tied Clayton's confirmation to the passage of a voter ID bill and an extension of federal warrantless spy powers.
Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) sharply criticized President Trump's decision to appoint Bill Pulte as the acting director of national intelligence, asserting that the move significantly heightens the risk of a terrorist attack on the United States. Ossoff argued that placing Pulte, whom he characterized as a "thug and a hack," in such a critical role destabilizes the nation's intelligence capabilities and puts its national security at risk.
Pulte, a past donor to Trump, previously led the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and initiated investigations into mortgage fraud allegations targeting individuals perceived as Trump's adversaries, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and Senator Adam Schiff. Ossoff expressed concern that Pulte's lack of experience in intelligence or national security, coupled with his perceived political loyalty, could lead to the abuse of authority within the intelligence community.
This appointment comes as President Trump has also nominated Jay Clayton for the permanent Director of National Intelligence position. However, Trump directed Clayton not to attend a scheduled Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, linking the confirmation process to the passage of unrelated legislation concerning voter identification and federal surveillance powers. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), the chair of the intelligence panel, described the postponement of Clayton's hearing as "regrettable" but indicated his expectation to proceed with the confirmation in the future.