Who Is Bill Pulte, The Controversial Businessman Appointed By Trump As USA's New Spy Chief, Replacing Tulsi Gabbard

Washington DC: US President Donald Trump has appointed William Pulte as the acting head of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), replacing Tulsi Gabbard, who had resigned from the post around 10 days ago.

Who Is Bill Pulte?

Bill Pulte is the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and the Chairman of US government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which play a crucial role in the US housing finance system. He will retain these roles while serving as the DNI.

Announcing him as the new spy chief, Trump said, "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." 

Notably, businessman Bill Pulte was named as the FHFA Director by Trump in 2025, following which he started accusing Trump's enemies of mortgage fraud. The prominent people accused by Pulte included Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook and former Congressman Eric Swalwell.

Mocking Trump's decision to appoint Federal Housing Finance Agency Director as the spy chief, a former Trump official sarcastically said, “Building homes is very similar to managing a 17-agency US intelligence community.”

Virginia Senator Mark Warner also criticised the appointment, saying, “This appointment speaks volumes about what this president expects from the nation’s top intelligence official.

He added, “Rather than selecting a respected national security professional capable of delivering independent judgments, the president has chosen an official who has demonstrated not just willingness but eagerness to use the authorities of government to pursue political retribution.”

Why Did Tulsi Gabbard Resign?

Tulsi Gabbard resigned from the post to support her husband in his fight against a serious illness.

In her resignation letter, she disclosed that her husband, Abraham, has been diagnosed with “an extremely rare form of bone cancer” and will face “major challenges in the coming weeks and months.

"Explaining her decision to leave public service, Gabbard stated, “At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle.”

She termed Abraham as her “rock throughout our eleven years of marriage, standing steadfast through my deployment to East Africa on a Joint Special Operations mission, multiple political campaigns and now my service in this role".

"His strength and love have sustained me through every challenge…..I cannot in good conscience ask him to face this fight alone while I continue in this demanding and time-consuming position,” she added.

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