Tulsi Gabbard stepped down as Director of National Intelligence last month, citing her husband Abraham Williams’ diagnosis with an extremely rare form of bone cancer. Trump publicly praised her work and initially named Deputy Director Aaron Lukas as her acting replacement.
On Tuesday, however, that plan shifted, and a different name entered the picture.
The new acting Director of National Intelligence is Bill Pulte, the 38-year-old head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, a role that placed him in charge of housing finance rather than intelligence work or military affairs. Trump announced the appointment on Truth Social and pointed to Pulte’s experience overseeing major financial systems.
“I am appointing the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and Chairman of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, William J. Pulte, to serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence. 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.”
$FNMA $FMCC | President Trump names federal housing official Bill Pulte as the acting Director of National Intelligence.
The surprise appointment fills the vacancy left by Tulsi Gabbard while letting Pulte retain leadership over US mortgage giants. https://t.co/h9hadaWuTu pic.twitter.com/wK8d9PSj0a
— Ticker Wire (@Tickerwire) June 2, 2026
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Pulte will also continue serving as FHFA Director and Chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while taking on the intelligence role. That means the person now overseeing 18 intelligence agencies will also remain responsible for the US mortgage market at the same time.
Gabbard’s departure itself had already been followed by questions inside the administration. While her resignation was officially tied to her husband’s illness, reports had described months of internal tension and growing frustration around her role in national security discussions.
During key periods when Trump weighed possible military action involving Iran and Venezuela, Gabbard was reportedly absent from several important discussions. She also had repeated clashes with CIA Director John Ratcliffe and became the fourth woman to leave Trump’s Cabinet during the second term. Trump later said he had no doubt her husband would “soon be better.”
Pulte’s appointment also stands out because of how the position has traditionally been filled. The Director of National Intelligence role was created after the September 11 attacks to coordinate work across 18 agencies, and most people who have held the job came from military, intelligence, law enforcement or national security backgrounds.
Pulte’s background followed a different path. His career has largely centered around housing finance and philanthropy, and he is also the grandson of William Pulte, founder of PulteGroup, one of the country’s largest homebuilders. Since arriving at FHFA in 2025, he has also used the role aggressively, referring several of Trump’s political opponents for prosecution over alleged mortgage fraud claims.
Pulte’s relationship with some administration officials has also had its own friction. During a Cabinet dinner in September, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly told him: “Why the f*** are you talking to the president about me? F*** you. I’m gonna punch you in your f***ing face.”
Pulte and Bessent will now continue serving in the same Cabinet as Iran ceasefire negotiations and intelligence matters remain ongoing.
Featured image via X screengrab
