The New York Times editorial board issued a blistering rebuke of Donald Trump’s decision to appoint Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence, replacing former Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard who quit as DNI last month.
Pulte, currently the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, “is blatantly unqualified to oversee the nation’s spies” and has “no known background in national security,” wrote the board, joining widespread criticism of the president’s choice.
His “one evident qualification is his eagerness to advance the president’s political revenge campaign,” it added, pointing to Pulte’s use of his current position to attack the president’s perceived enemies and imitate his “childish style.”
“It is chilling to think about how he might use his power as the director of national intelligence, a job that will give him access to sensitive secrets about Americans and foreigners alike,” the editorial said.
“His appointment is a threat to the effective functioning of the intelligence community, national security and the rule of law,” it added.
