Trump names inexperienced ally as intelligence director

Bill Pulte WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump appointed a loyalist with no national security experience as head of US intelligence on Tuesday — and said he would also retain his existing jobs overseeing federal housing and mortgage policies. Federal Housing Finance Agency chief Bill Pulte — who is known for publicly attacking Trump’s political enemies — was named as the acting director of national intelligence (DNI), replacing Tulsi Gabbard. Gabbard, herself a controversial pick for the job, resigned in late May, ending a tenure that saw her appear to be at odds with Trump over his war on Iran. The DNI — who heads the US intelligence community and serves as the president’s main advisor on intelligence issues — is legally required to have “extensive national security expertise”, which Pulte lacks. Trump hailed Pulte in a social media post announcing the appointment, saying he “has deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America, the safety and soundness of the Markets”. The president added that Pulte, who also leads mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, will continue to serve in his housing-related roles. US media describes Bill Pulte as the president’s ‘attack dog’ Pulte, 38, has been described by some US media as the president’s “attack dog.” Pulte has accused Democratic Senator Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James of falsifying documents on mortgage applications. The Wall Street Journal reported that, according to an internal complaint at Fannie Mae, Pulte had improperly accessed the mortgage records of James and other Democratic officials. A federal grand jury indicted James in October, but the case was dismissed without prejudice — which leaves open the possibility of the charges being filed again — a month later by a federal judge. ‘Political retribution’ Pulte has also championed a mortgage fraud case against US Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, based on which Trump attempted to fire the monetary policy maker. That cas