Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Wednesday that he had no familiarity with Bill Pulte in the context of the intelligence community, despite President Donald Trump's selection of Pulte as acting director of national intelligence. Rubio's remarks came during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, where Representative Bill Keating, a Massachusetts Democrat, questioned him about Pulte's background.
Hearing Exchange
Keating, noting Rubio's extensive experience on the Senate Intelligence Committee and his current roles as top diplomat and national security adviser, asked: 'Have you ever specifically, in the context of the intelligence community, heard the name Bill Pulte?' Rubio replied, 'In the context of intelligence? No.' Keating pressed further: 'Never heard his name? Thank you for answering that. Never even heard his name, given all your years of experience and your position now. Never heard the name.'
Pulte's Appointment
Trump announced Pulte's appointment on Tuesday, elevating the federal housing regulator to lead the U.S. intelligence community. The move has drawn criticism from Democrats and at least one Republican, who question Pulte's qualifications given his lack of national security experience, especially amid global tensions.
Keating elaborated: 'For the record, Bill Pulte is a person Donald Trump has chosen for the acting director of national intelligence with no experience in the intelligence field, whose misuse, widely reported, of confidential information led to the prosecution of the president's political enemies, is now in charge of the nation's most closely guarded intelligence, when he couldn't even conduct himself appropriately as the federal housing finance director.'
Pulte, 38, has reportedly used his position at a low-profile mortgage regulatory agency to initiate investigations into several individuals perceived as Trump's adversaries for alleged mortgage fraud. Despite the criticism, Trump praised Pulte in a Truth Social post announcing the appointment, citing his 'deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America.'
