Trump’s New Spy Chief Asked to Take Classified Presidential Briefings Home, Report Says

Donald Trump’s newly chosen acting intelligence chief was reportedly asking about the job’s benefits before he had even formally taken over. Bill Pulte, 38, who leads the Federal Housing Finance Agency and was recently tapped as acting Director of National Intelligence, asked whether the position came with access to a government aircraft — a perk that later created political trouble for Kristi Noem. During his first briefing with officials at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence last week, Pulte raised questions about the plane and appeared focused on how freely he could travel between Florida, Washington, DC, and Chicago, sources told CNN. “That was a bit odd,” one person familiar with the discussion said. According to the sources, Pulte also asked whether he would receive a top-secret security clearance and whether he could take intelligence materials home. His lack of prior intelligence experience has already prompted concern among lawmakers in both parties. Pulte also asked if the President’s Daily Brief could be brought home with him, the sources said.

The President’s Daily Brief is a highly classified summary, usually delivered on a secure tablet or in printed form, outlining the most urgent national and international issues for Trump’s review. Pulte also asked whether he would be assigned a protective security detail before officially beginning the role on Friday, one source told CNN. Trump appointed Pulte as acting DNI after former intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard stepped away to support her husband, Abraham, while he undergoes treatment for a rare form of cancer. Friday marks Pulte’s first official day in the post. While reports have suggested Gabbard did not always align with Trump on key issues, Pulte is widely viewed as one of the President’s most loyal supporters.

Pulte, who remains housing director, has helped advance mortgage fraud cases involving some of Trump’s political adversaries, including former Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and New York Attorney General Letitia James. An heir to the PulteGroup homebuilding fortune, he first drew Trump’s attention during the President’s first term by giving away money on social media and publicly praising the Republican leader.

In Trump’s current term, Pulte was installed at the Federal Housing Finance Agency and has since gained a visible place in the President’s orbit, securing spots on Air Force One trips and frequently engaging Trump in conversation. That proximity has reportedly irritated some administration officials. Pulte has also clashed with colleagues, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who last year allegedly threatened to punch him in the “[expletive] face” after Pulte was accused of criticizing him to the President. Because the DNI role is intended to remain nonpartisan, some lawmakers fear Pulte could bring an aggressively pro-Trump posture to the intelligence community and use the position against the President’s opponents. “This isn’t something to overthink — President Trump wanted someone in that position who is a true loyalist, who will do what he wants him to do. He has that in Bill,” one source told CNN. Trump has said Pulte will continue running the housing agency while also overseeing coordination across the federal government’s 18 intelligence agencies as acting DNI. The dual arrangement has puzzled critics, who note that the DNI is a Cabinet-level post and not typically treated as a part-time assignment. Trump has nominated US Attorney Jay Clayton to serve as the permanent DNI, though it remains unclear when the Senate may vote on his confirmation.