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President Donald Trump indicated Friday that he plans to pursue sweeping changes within the federal intelligence apparatus, using the temporary appointment of Bill Pulte to help reshape agencies Trump and his allies have long criticized as part of the Washington “deep state.”
The effort drew renewed attention after the president selected Pulte, currently the Senate-confirmed head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to serve temporarily as acting director of national intelligence upon Tulsi Gabbard’s departure.
The appointment places Pulte in temporary control of the nation’s 18-agency intelligence community without requiring an additional Senate confirmation vote.
President Trump made clear Friday that he expects significant personnel changes under Pulte’s leadership.
“I’d like him to fire a lot of people,” he told reporters, arguing that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence had become overly large and filled with holdovers from previous administrations.
“He’s less shackled because he doesn’t need confirmation,” President Trump said. “He’s there temporarily.”
The remarks offered one of the president’s clearest public indications yet that his second administration intends to aggressively challenge what conservatives describe as an entrenched federal bureaucracy resistant to elected leadership and policy priorities.
“While Democrats play politics with our national security, @pulte will put the American people first. He is a friend, ally, and patriot who will fight to drain the Swamp of our intel community, and keep America safe. I look forward to working with him as Acting Director of National Intelligence,” Indiana Republican Sen. Jim Banks said concerning Pulte.
Before entering government, Pulte was known as a businessman and social media figure. Since taking over at the FHFA, he has aligned closely with the administration’s efforts to reduce bureaucracy and streamline federal operations.
Supporters of the move argue that an outsider without a traditional intelligence background could disrupt what they view as a culture of unaccountable career officials exercising outsized influence over national policy and political disputes.
President Trump has repeatedly accused elements within federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies of working against him during and after his first term in office. Allies of the president have pointed to investigations into Trump, internal disagreements and resistance to administration policies as justification for major institutional reforms.
The appointment also fits into the administration’s broader effort to reduce the size of the federal workforce and expand presidential control over executive agencies. Since returning to office, President Trump has pursued reorganizations, staffing reductions and leadership changes across multiple departments.