Trump’s acting DNI Bill Pulte tried to oust Tulsi Gabbard early: ‘Today is your last day’
WASHINGTON, DC: Bill Pulte, President Donald Trump's pick for acting Director of National Intelligence, appeared eager to take up the role as he reportedly moved quickly to push Tulsi Gabbard out of her position before the end of her tenure.
Pulte, currently serving as the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, is lined up for the role after Gabbard publicly announced her departure in order to help care for her cancer-stricken husband.
Although Tulsi Gabbard, 45, is scheduled to depart at the end of the month, Pulte reportedly sought to cut her tenure short by pushing for her exit on June 9.
Bill Pulte blindsided Tulsi Gabbard with phone call
Officials familiar with the matter told Axios that Pulte called Gabbard on Tuesday and informed her: "Today is your last day."
The statement left Tulsi blindsided, forcing her to rush to President Trump to seek confirmation. "I need to hear it from the president or the White House," Gabbard told Pulte, according to two officials briefed on the conversation.
After the call, Gabbard reached out to Trump directly. Rather than demanding her immediate resignation, the president reportedly asked, "What day works best for you?"
Gabbard selected June 19 as her departure date and Trump later announced the revised timeline on Truth Social, confirming that Pulte would oversee the intelligence office on an interim basis while a permanent nominee is chosen and confirmed by the Senate.
Olivia Coleman, the press secretary for the Director of National Intelligence, said in a statement that Gabbard and her team are “mission-focused” and have already begun providing Pulte with briefs at Trump’s directive.
Pulte’s appointment sparks bipartisan pushback
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have expressed concerns over Pulte's lack of military and intelligence credentials, as well as his reported absence of a security clearance.
Democrats have questioned whether Pulte has the expertise to oversee the nation's 18 intelligence agencies, while also accusing him of weaponizing his position in support of Trump's political vendettas.
In his government role, Pulte has used government housing paperwork to allege fraud by several of Trump's critics, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.
Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, warned that Pulte could cause damage to voter integrity well beyond his term by elevating the president’s unfounded claims of mass voter fraud.
Calling his temporary appointment “the worst and probably most dangerous” of the Trump administration, Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, predicted Pulte would “do whatever” to “do the president’s political laundry.
