Washington, June 2 (UNI) US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he is appointing William J. Pulte, the head of the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency, as Acting Director of National Intelligence.

The appointment follows the resignation announcement by former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on May 22, with her departure set to take effect on June 30. On the same day, Trump had indicated that Principal Deputy Director Aaron Lukas would assume the role of acting intelligence chief.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he was appointing Pulte, who also serves as chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to lead the U.S. intelligence community on an interim basis.

As director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), Pulte has been a prominent figure in efforts aligned with Trump’s campaign against political opponents. He referred several high-profile Democrats — including New York Attorney General Letitia James, Rep. Eric Swalwell, Sen. Adam Schiff, and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis — to the Justice Department for investigation over alleged mortgage fraud. He also made similar allegations against Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.

All five denied the accusations. Only the investigation involving James resulted in charges, which were later dismissed by a federal judge.

Pulte’s referrals fueled criticism that the Trump administration was using federal law enforcement agencies to target political adversaries. The Government Accountability Office subsequently opened an inquiry into whether Pulte had misused his authority.

 Trump added that Pulte would also remain in his current roles until a permanent DNI head — which would require Senate confirmation,is named.

UNI AAB