Trump says Tulsi Gabbard’s replacement will gut ODNI before new chief is named

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump is standing by his controversial decision to appoint Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte as Acting Director of National Intelligence, dismissing concerns about the housing executive's lack of intelligence experience and insisting that his temporary pick is capable of carrying out a major restructuring of the office.

Speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday, June 10, Trump defended Pulte's appointment after announcing that outgoing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard would leave her position earlier than expected. 

Donald Trump says Office of the Director of National Intelligence has become duplicative

Trump announced in a Truth Social post that Pulte would take over as Acting Director of National Intelligence on June 19.

The president said the 38-year-old official's primary assignment would be to dramatically reduce the size of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence by sending personnel back to their original agencies.

During remarks to reporters, Trump argued that the office has become unnecessarily large and repetitive.

Speaking about the agency, Trump said unnamed officials have wanted it "downsized for a long time" and suggested that the organization "has a lot of duplication."

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after the September 11 terrorist attacks to coordinate the nation's intelligence agencies.

The office oversees intelligence programs and serves as the central leadership structure for the US Intelligence Community.

Yet Trump indicated that he believes the agency can operate with far fewer resources and employees than it currently has.

The president said Pulte's immediate responsibility would be carrying out those reductions before a permanent nominee is selected.

Tulsi Gabbard's departure creates opening for a temporary replacement

The administration's decision comes as Gabbard prepares to leave government service to care for her husband, who is undergoing treatment for bone cancer.

Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, had been expected to remain in office through the end of June.

Trump's announcement accelerated the transition process and placed Pulte at the center of one of the administration's most sensitive national security positions.

During Trump's second term, the intelligence office has reportedly wielded less influence than in previous administrations.

Gabbard's isolationist and anti-interventionist views often placed her outside the mainstream of Trump's national security team.

That dynamic allowed CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who previously served as DNI during Trump's first administration, to assume many day-to-day responsibilities traditionally associated with the intelligence chief's role.

Bill Pulte's lack of experience draws scrutiny from lawmakers

Much of the criticism surrounding Pulte centers on his lack of national security credentials.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency chief has no known intelligence, military, or national security background.

Questions have also emerged about whether he possesses, or would ordinarily qualify for, the security clearances generally associated with overseeing the nation's intelligence apparatus.

Critics have pointed to federal law governing the position, which requires the Director of National Intelligence to have extensive national security experience.

Pulte's appointment has become particularly significant because Congress is simultaneously debating the future of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

The surveillance authority is set to expire at the end of the week unless lawmakers approve an extension.

Trump said he is seeking a short-term extension while his administration evaluates permanent candidates for the role.

Donald Trump says Bill Pulte's intelligence experience is less important than being 'smart'

Despite the criticism, Trump made clear that he remains confident in Pulte.

The president stressed that the appointment is temporary and said the administration is actively interviewing multiple candidates for the permanent position.

"I would say this: He's going to be there for a short while while we pick somebody else. We're interviewing five different people; they're all very good, very different, and we'll put somebody there," Trump said.

He also returned to his argument that lawmakers themselves support shrinking the intelligence office.

"But people want it downsized, the senators and the congresspeople. I think everybody wants it downsized," he added.

Trump further brushed aside concerns about Pulte's lack of intelligence experience, arguing that the acting director's personal abilities mattered more than his résumé.

According to the president, the most important qualification is that Pulte is "smart."