President Donald Trump on Wednesday slammed Democrats over their stance on national security and announced that Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte will be downsizing the office.
“Just like they did on Border Funding, the Radical Left Dumocrats are trying to take our National Security hostage because of unrelated issues. They should stop playing politics with the safety of our Great Country,” Trump wrote.
I have named William Pulte to be Acting Director of National Intelligence, who will take over on June 19th, and have asked him to execute the immediate and needed downsizing of the office, reverting staff to their home agencies. At the same time, I am looking for a permanent ODNI Nominee with experience in National Security.
FISA 702 is very important to our Military, and keeping the American People safe, especially during the World Cup and America250 Celebrations. If nothing is done, this important Law will expire this week. I am asking Congress to send me a short-term extension of FISA to provide time for the selection and confirmation of a permanent Head of the Agency. I would like to thank Director Pulte for his time and commitment.
Pulte will continue running the Federal Housing Finance Agency and chairing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while he oversees national intelligence.
Reactions to Pulte’s appointment have been split largely along party lines. Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) said Pulte “will put the American people first” and “fight to drain the Swamp of our intel community, and keep America safe.”
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) slammed Pulte’s appointment, saying it “speaks volumes about what this president expects from the nation’s top intelligence official” and “Rather than selecting a respected national security professional capable of delivering independent judgments, the president has chosen an official who has demonstrated not just willingness but eagerness to use the authorities of government to pursue political retribution.”
Meanwhile, Congress is still trying to work out an agreement on Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) which allows federal agencies to spy on foreigners located outside of the country without obtaining warrants. It has been reauthorized multiple times since it was enacted in 2008.
Congress last reauthorized the provision through the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act in 2024, which included a sunset date of April 20, 2026. Lawmakers later approved short-term extensions. The latest extension expires on Friday.
Section 702 has garnered criticism from people on both sides of the political divide with many pointing out how federal agencies have used to spy on American citizens without warrants through backdoor searches. The law ostensibly targets only foreigners, but if these individuals communicate with U.S. citizens, then Americans’ information can also be caught up in the surveillance operations.
The FBI used this provision to spy on President Trump’s 2017 campaign staffers — specifically Carter Page. Government transparency report show that the Bureau has conducted these warrantless queries on Americans thousands of times each year. In 2021, that number reached as high as 3.4 million before new rules reined in these agencies.