A new fight over Tulsi Gabbard’s removal shows how Democrats will twist any staffing move to weaken President Trump’s control over the intelligence swamp.
Story Snapshot
- Reports say Bill Pulte pushed to remove Tulsi Gabbard early as Director of National Intelligence, prompting President Trump to step in.
- Trump later named Pulte acting Director of National Intelligence, triggering a media and Democrat firestorm over his lack of “intel” credentials.[2][3]
- Critics admit Pulte was already Senate-confirmed and legally able to serve as acting Director of National Intelligence, but still try to paint the move as dangerous.[2][3]
- The clash highlights a deeper battle over who controls intelligence power after years of alleged politicization and targeting of Trump allies.[1][2][3]
How the reported Pulte–Gabbard power struggle began
Reports from Washington say the behind-the-scenes battle started while Tulsi Gabbard was still serving as Director of National Intelligence.[1][3] Director Gabbard had already stirred major controversy by moving to yank the security clearances of at least 37 current and former national security officials.[1] Those caught up in her memo reportedly worked on the 2016 Russia election assessment and served under former President Joe Biden on the National Security Council, raising alarms among the old guard.[1]
The memo from Gabbard’s office accused these officials of “politicization or weaponization of intelligence” and failing to protect classified material.[1] That language echoed long-standing conservative complaints about how intelligence agencies were used against President Trump and his movement. According to one scoop, as the backlash grew, incoming acting Director of National Intelligence pick Bill Pulte pushed to move Gabbard out sooner than planned, setting up a showdown over timing and control at the top of the spy bureaucracy.[1][2]
Trump’s decision to tap Pulte and the media backlash
President Trump then shocked the establishment by announcing that Bill Pulte, already running the Federal Housing Finance Agency, would take over as acting Director of National Intelligence, replacing Gabbard.[2][3] Trump made the move public on social media, stressing Pulte’s “deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America, the safety and soundness of the Markets” and his oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.[2][3] That explanation focused on Pulte’s record handling huge, sensitive financial institutions rather than traditional spy credentials.
Corporate media outlets and Democrat leaders erupted almost instantly. One network called Pulte a “real estate scion without any clear national security credentials” and noted he had “no known intelligence background.”[2][3] Critics pointed to his current role at the housing agency and mocked the idea that mortgage-market work could prepare him to coordinate 18 intelligence agencies.[2][3] Commentators claimed the surprise pick was one of the most debated moves of Trump’s second term and warned it came as the United States faced threats from Iran, Russia, and the rise of artificial intelligence in warfare.[3]
Why the left is really furious about this acting Director of National Intelligence
Buried under the outrage were some facts that undercut the media narrative. Pulte had already been confirmed by the Senate to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency, meaning he was not some random outsider with no vetting.[1][2] Because he held that Senate-confirmed post, he is legally allowed to serve as acting Director of National Intelligence for a set period without a new confirmation vote, giving the White House flexibility as it weighs a permanent nominee.[1][2] That lawful use of acting authority is exactly what many in Washington dislike, because it limits their leverage.
Democrat critics and former intelligence officials framed the appointment as a “national security crisis” and insisted the Director of National Intelligence law demands “extensive national security expertise.”[5] Yet they have not produced a clear legal memo showing that requirement blocks an acting appointment like Pulte’s under the vacancies rules.[5] Instead, their attacks lean on broad claims that Trump is “politicizing” intelligence, even though Gabbard herself had just stripped dozens of anti-Trump veterans of their clearances for alleged politicization of past investigations.[1][5]
What this fight reveals about control of the intelligence community
The timing of the reported effort to push Gabbard out early matters. Gabbard’s clearance sweep hit many officials tied to the old Russia probe and Biden-era policy circles.[1] That move fit Trump’s promise to root out those who, in his view, twisted intelligence for partisan ends. When reports say Pulte wanted her gone sooner, and Trump had to step in, it suggests a tense transition between two different approaches to cleaning up the agencies, not a simple personality clash.[1][2]
Many House Democrats plan to vote No against the FISA 702 extension requested by President Trump over his appointment of Bill Pulte as acting DNI & that no warrant requirement is included in the bill.
— Craig Caplan (@CraigCaplan) June 11, 2026
Bigger picture, this battle shows why personnel fights at the top of the intelligence world are so fierce. Acting appointments let a president move faster than the Senate and install leaders who share his “America First” vision for stopping foreign threats and ending domestic political spying.[1][3] For many Democrats and media figures who were comfortable with the old order, any outsider without deep roots in the intelligence bureaucracy is treated as a threat. For conservative readers, the key question is simple: who do you trust more with secret power—a closed club of career insiders, or elected leadership that answers to voters and is willing to shake up the system?
Sources:
[1] Web – Bill Pulte Reportedly Tried to Oust Tulsi Gabbard Early as He Took …
[2] Web – Trump names controversial housing official Bill Pulte as acting …
[3] YouTube – Trump taps housing regulator Pulte to be acting director of national …
[5] Web – Bill Pulte couldn’t handle the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and …