GOP Senators Puzzled by Trump's Gabbard Replacement

Republican senators spent Tuesday puzzling over President Trump's surprise move to tap Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence—and few were rushing to his defense. Pulte, who currently runs the Federal Housing Finance Agency and is heir to the Pulte Homes fortune, has no evident background in intelligence or national security, several GOP senators said, even as he's poised to oversee agencies including the CIA and NSA during heightened tensions with Iran. "I see no evidence of any qualifications for that job," said Sen. John Cornyn, a senior member of the Intelligence Committee. "The best I can tell you is he's not qualified, but I don't know anything about him other than that," said Sen. Bill Cassidy.

Republicans stressed they can't block an acting appointment but suggested Pulte would face a steep climb if Trump seeks to install him permanently, the Hill reports. Senate Majority Leader. John Thune warned that the director's post must not be "weaponized," a concern stemming from Pulte's recent efforts combing mortgage records for possible fraud by Trump critics such as New York Attorney General Letitia James, Sen. Adam Schiff, and Fed governor Lisa Cook. Sen. Thom Tillis said he had "a real issue" with that work. Tillis also questioned Pulte's experience. "When we looked at his background for the current confirmation, I thought most of his experience was in the building industry," Tillis said. "I didn't know he had any national security experience."

Democrats were more outspoken in their criticism, the AP reports. The Intelligence Committee's vice chair, Sen. Mark Warner, called Pulte a terrible choice. "Elevating him to oversee the Intelligence Community makes clear that this president is not looking for an intelligence leader who will follow the facts or speak truth to power, but rather someone who will be willing to shape intelligence around the president's wishes, regardless of the cost to the American people," he said in a statement. Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Pulte had abused his authority at the finance agency and Trump is now "rewarding his lackey—who has no national security experience—with a perch atop our nation's intelligence community. What could go wrong?"