WASHINGTON — A United States senator with rare firsthand experience inside the Office of the Director of National Intelligence is pushing back hard against President Donald Trump’s latest personnel move at the nation’s most powerful intelligence post — and her voice carries particular weight.
Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), a former CIA analyst who served three tours in Iraq, held roles at the National Security Council under both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and worked as Special Assistant to the first-ever Director of National Intelligence, John Negroponte, publicly opposed Trump’s appointment of Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence on Tuesday. Slotkin, who took office as Michigan’s junior senator in January 2025, posted her opposition to the move on X at 1:29 p.m. on June 2nd, 2026, responding directly to the announcement.
“As someone who helped set up the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, I oppose elevating Bill Pulte to Acting Director,” Slotkin wrote. “He has no experience. Zero. And he is the wrong choice to help keep us safe.”
Trump announced the appointment earlier Tuesday morning on his Truth Social platform, naming Pulte — the 38-year-old head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and chairman of government-backed mortgage enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac — to lead the sprawling U.S. intelligence community. “I am appointing the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and Chairman of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, William J. Pulte, to serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence,” Trump wrote. “William has deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America, the safety and soundness of the Markets, and over 10 Trillion Dollars at Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, a substantial increase from where it was just 12 months ago. During this period, he will remain Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and Chairman of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac. Congratulations to Director Pulte!”
Pulte replaces Tulsi Gabbard, who announced her departure from the intelligence post last month, effective June 30. Reuters reported that Gabbard was forced from the role over frictions with the White House; Gabbard maintained she resigned due to her husband’s recent cancer diagnosis. Gabbard had served as director of national intelligence since February 2025, and like Pulte, had used the traditionally nonpartisan intelligence position to advance Trump’s political interests.
The appointment comes at a precarious moment for U.S. national security. The United States remains embroiled in an ongoing war with Iran following the collapse of a fresh round of peace talks, while simultaneously navigating Russia’s war on Ukraine and China’s growing military and economic clout. As acting director, Pulte will oversee 18 agencies comprising the full intelligence community, including the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency — the massive eavesdropping agency that also helps defend the United States against cyberattacks.
Slotkin did not stop at questioning Pulte’s credentials. In her post, she went further, laying out a record she described as disqualifying. “Mr. Pulte has weaponized his current agency against the President’s critics, he’s fired federal watchdogs looking into his allies and he is under active investigation by the Government Accountability Office,” she wrote. “This all makes him an incredibly dangerous choice to be in charge of ODNI and have access to the tools of this office.”
The GAO investigation referenced by Slotkin stems from Democratic lawmakers’ requests that the nonpartisan watchdog examine whether Pulte had potentially misused federal authority and resources to publicly accuse prominent Democrats and other Trump critics of mortgage fraud. The GAO confirmed in December that it was investigating FHFA’s mortgage fraud investigation procedures, and as of Tuesday, a GAO spokesperson said the office expects to issue results in “late 2026 or early 2027.”
Pulte’s tenure at the FHFA has been defined by a pattern of targeting individuals perceived as political enemies of the president. He made criminal referrals against New York Attorney General Letitia James, alleging insurance fraud — a case that was eventually dismissed after a federal grand jury refused to indict her. He also accused Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook of mortgage fraud. Officials have not brought charges against Schiff, who denies the allegations. Trump attempted to fire Cook — an unprecedented move against a U.S. central bank official — over Pulte’s accusations, but courts allowed her to remain in her post. The Supreme Court is expected to rule in the coming weeks on her case.
Slotkin also made a striking personal disclosure in her post, invoking her own experience as a target of government action. “As someone who has had the government weaponized against me, I cannot in good conscience support his elevation to such a sensitive post,” she wrote, before delivering a blunt closing message to the White House: “The President should choose a serious nominee.”
The senator’s opposition carries distinct credibility in this debate. Slotkin began her government career in the intelligence community, including a role as Special Assistant to the first Director of National Intelligence, John Negroponte, and served in Iraq for nearly 24 months total. She later held various defense and intelligence positions under both President Bush and President Obama, including roles at the White House and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, before taking a senior position at the Pentagon where she served as Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs until January 2017.
Notably, Slotkin was among only three Democrats who voted to confirm Pulte as FHFA director back in March 2025, joining Republicans in supporting his nomination alongside Democratic Sens. Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland and Ruben Gallego of Arizona. Her reversal on Pulte for this appointment underscores the distinction she draws between overseeing a housing finance agency and commanding the entirety of America’s intelligence apparatus.
Slotkin was not alone in her opposition. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer called Pulte a “partisan thug” and warned that “a guy who can file such baseless, political and outrageous charges against political office holders he doesn’t like can’t be entrusted to protect our national security.” Republican Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said he saw “no evidence of qualifications for that job.” Even Senate Republican Leader John Thune signaled concern, noting that if Trump moves to make the appointment permanent, Pulte “has a lengthy road ahead of him” in the narrowly divided chamber.
Pulte can serve in the role for up to 210 days without Senate confirmation, a window that would carry him through the November midterm elections in which Republicans are seeking to retain control of Congress. Whether Trump nominates him permanently beyond that acting period remains to be seen — but if Tuesday’s bipartisan criticism is any indication, any path to confirmation would be steep.