WASHINGTON, DC – Today, after President Donald Trump tapped Bill Pulte, who currently serves as head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and has no background in intelligence, national security, or the military to serve as acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to replace Tulsi Gabbard who is stepping aside at the end of the month, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee and an ex officio member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement:

“This is a cynical pick of a dangerously unqualified individual. President Trump’s desire to surround himself with unqualified ‘yes men’ is one of the factors that misled our nation into disastrous war with Iran. The President should have expert professionals leading our nation’s intelligence agencies, but he prefers sycophants who will put personal fealty to him above the constitution.

“DNI is not a part-time job. Mr. Pulte is the most unqualified person in the history of U.S. intelligence to be tapped for this critical role. He lacks both the experience and temperament to lead the department that oversees all eighteen American intelligence agencies.

“The DNI is intended to educate and inform the president about pressing intelligence matters, not just tell him what he wants to hear or serve as a partisan attack dog. The DNI is supposed to ensure the analytic independence of the intelligence community and speak truth to power when necessary. There is zero evidence Mr. Pulte can fulfill either of these tasks.

“Mr. Pulte has misused his role at FHFA to ignore the law and pursue trumped up allegations against the president’s perceived critics. It is alarming to think what he might do as DNI and raises questions about the DNI’s role in election security. It’s unlikely the guy pushing frivolous schemes like a 50-year mortgage at FHFA will suddenly start providing serious, thoughtful leadership as DNI.

“Republicans who care about national security and U.S. intelligence should be embarrassed by this move and speak out against it. DNI is too important a role to cede to a partisan sycophant with no experience. Our nation deserves better and this could put U.S national security at risk.”

According to President Trump’s social media post, Mr. Pulte will keep his post at FHFA while he serves as acting head of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. If formally nominated, Mr. Pulte would need to be confirmed by the full U.S. Senate to hold the position full time.

The Trump cabinet now has acting officials leading the U.S. Department of Justice; the U.S. Department of Labor; and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.