FVEY, Look out!
Or, US adds another clown car appointment
It was treated as a flash-in-the-pan story, but that’s only because there are so many of them. Trump has appointed another enabler with zero qualifications to a senior position in the US intelligence community, in fact, on paper, the most senior position-the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The DNI was created in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks with a mission to ensure that the sprawling US intelligence community could work together and share intelligence. The DNI assumed the mantle of the President’s most senior adviser on intelligence. [1] The DNI also represents the US intelligence community at the highest levels of international engagements. Look out, Five Eyes!
The previous DNI, Tulsi Gabbard, was also an enabler and bad enough. Her only saving grace was that Trump paid no attention to her, including over launching the Iran war, even while she assiduously tried to do the President’s bidding in going after his ‘deep state’ enemies within the US intelligence community, and in a grandstanding ballot-seizure exercise in Georgia.
Her successor takes the enabling game further and deeper into the muck. His name is Bill Pulte. Canadians will never have heard of him (before now). He is heir to a big home building company and previously served Trump (with emphasis on servility) as Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. He used that office to go after some of Trump’s enemies on trumped-up charges. Trumped-up sure does have a new ring.
In announcing the appointment on Truth Social, Trump had nothing to say about Pulte’s credentials to lead the US intelligence community, but instead gave this backing:
“William [to you] has deep experience in managing the most sensitive matters in America, the safety and soundness of the Markets, and over 10 trillion dollars at Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac [US government mortgage agencies.]” [2]
That’s deep experience for you, almost as profound as Trump’s international negotiating team of Jared Kushner and Steve Witless (sorry Witkoff)—on top of which ‘William’ keeps his old job as Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. So Trump has effectivly made the DNI a part-time appointment. But now Pulte can go to war inside the administration with another Trump enabler, the Director of the CIA, John Ratcliffe. Ratcliffe outshone Tulsi Gabbard. It may be a different story with Pulte as DNI. The stage is set for a battle-royal for the big man’s attention, but hardly good for U.S. intelligence.
Pulte’s appointment to the DNI acting position was met by degrees of astonishment, loud on the Democratic side, more muted, but still clear, on the Republican. Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins even wondered out-loud whether he had a security clearance of any sort. [3] The Senate majority leader, Republican John Thune of South Dakota, had this warning message for Trump: “We don’t need a weaponized DNI. We need professionals there.” Thune also cast doubt on the likelihood that Pulte would pass Congressional scrutiny if nominated for the position on a permanent basis. That makes Pulte an even more dangerous appointment—a temporary enabler with a life span of 210 days. Unlimited damage potential for the U.S. intelligence community, for informed intelligence to assist policy-making, for the U.S.’s close intelligence partners, including Canada, in the Five Eyes.
But the White House has a different take. Here goes:
“The President chooses the best and most talented people to serve in his Cabinet. That is why this Administration has achieved record successes for the American people. Bill Pulte is a great selection and he will do a great job on behalf of the American people.” [4]
MAGA types like Steve Bannon had something more pungent to say in support of the Pulte appointment:
“It’s a middle finger to the Senate. A fuck you to the Deep State. The White House staff hates him because they can’t control him.” [5]
What should the U.S.’ intelligence partners make of this? It’s not hard to guess, even if reactions will stay private and locked away. Pulte is a middle-finger to intelligence allies, a visceral reminder that trust in US intelligence sharing and trust in US reception of intelligence from its partners has been deeply undermined. It is a further sign that the US intelligence community is being politicised from the top and the rot will inevitably seep downwards, impacting on US intelligence capabilities.
For FVEY’s partners, reliant to various degrees on US intelligence for a global picture of threats, it is a pointed reminder of the vulnerability that goes with intelligence dependency these days, and another alarm bell about the urgent need to increase sovereign intelligence capabilities.
Are we hearing that warning in Ottawa?
In the meantime, our senior officials must do business with William. My only advice. Don’t trust that slick, wide smile and watch out when you buy a used car from the Trump administration intelligence sales lot.
[1] https://www.dni.gov/index.php/who-we-are
[2] Trump, Truth Social, https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116680659724813616
[3] Jeff Stein, “Spy Talk” substack, “Trump goes for Broke with MAGA Fanatic Bill Pulte to run U.S. Intelligence,” June 3, 2026.
[4] CNBC, “Pulte appointment as spy chief would give a Trump attack dog access to a trove of intelligence,” June 2, 2026,https://www.cnbc.com/2026/06/02/bill-pulte-dni-tulsi-gabbard.html?msockid=2cdf66d8614e6e3416c771ec600c6f4f
[5] Politico, New York playbook, “Trump’s intel pick delights MAGA and shocks nation’s spies,” June 2, 2026, https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/02/trump-bill-pulte-dni-maga-spies-00947355
The remaining four will do as they must. Now they have to assess intelligence exchange with America, knowing that it will be compromised. Really, now, just the FourEyes.
Four Eyes now.