The director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard says she’s resigning from her position to support her husband during his cancer treatment. The president shared Tulsi Gabbard’s resignation letter on social media this afternoon. It says her husband was recently diagnosed with *** rare bone cancer and faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months. Gabbard thanked President Trump for the opportunity to lead the office. Of the Director of National Intelligence or ODNI, where she led the US intelligence community for the last year and *** half, President Trump commended Gabbard for an incredible job and shared well wishes for her husband. Gabbard is *** veteran and former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii who was once known for her opposition to foreign wars. Her departure comes as President Trump debates restarting the war against Iran. There were reported rumors that Gabbard would resign from the ODNI after the war began in February. In March, Gabbard told the Senate Intelligence Committee that Iran had not been trying to rebuild its nuclear capabilities after the first US attacks last year on the country’s nuclear program. That contradicted what the president repeatedly claimed is the reason behind the war. Gabbard is going to serve as the ODNI until the end of June. Then it will be Principal Deputy Director Aaron Lucas who will step in as acting director.
Trump taps housing finance director Pulte as acting director of national intelligence after Gabbard
President Donald Trump has tapped federal housing finance Director Bill Pulte to be acting director of national intelligence to replace Tulsi Gabbard.Trump made the surprise announcement Tuesday on Truth Social regarding Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and chair of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Trump says Pulte “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.”Trump says Pulte will keep his other positions even as he fills in for Gabbard, who resigned last month after revealing her husband’s cancer diagnosis. If formally nominated, Pulte would need to be confirmed by the Senate to hold the position full time.Pulte’s current role involves ensuring the soundness of the mortgage market, but he morphed into a megaphone who went after the Republican president’s perceived political foes.Pulte has mainly trained his sights on Trump’s domestic rivals, going after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for having not cutting the central bank’s benchmark interest rates as aggressively as the president wanted. It’s unclear what national security expertise Pulte has, but he has been a frequent guest on Air Force One as Trump has traveled to Mar-a-Lago, his home and club in Palm Beach, Florida.
President Donald Trump has tapped Federal Housing Finance Director Bill Pulte to be acting director of national intelligence to replace Tulsi Gabbard.
Trump made the surprise announcement on Tuesday on Truth Social regarding Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and chair of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Trump says Pulte “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.”
Trump says Pulte will keep his other positions even as he fills in for Gabbard, who resigned last month after revealing her husband’s cancer diagnosis.