Bill Pulte, the current head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), has been appointed to serve as the acting director of national intelligence.
Pulte, a pro-Bitcoin conservative, will succeed Tulsi Gabbard, who will leave the position on June 30.
Trump noted that Pulte will simultaneously maintain his leadership roles at the FHFA and as chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Pulte's background
Pulte was known as the heir to a major real estate empire and gained attention for his social media-based philanthropy. Since joining the administration, he has established a reputation for aggressive and highly politicized actions:
He spearheaded mortgage fraud accusations against prominent Democrats, including New York Attorney General Letitia James and Senator Adam Schiff, though both efforts ultimately collapsed.
He campaigned for the removal of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, even presenting a mock "wanted poster" of Powell to the president.
He immediately overhauled the boards of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, installed himself as chairman, and terminated top staff members.
A staunch Bitcoin advocate
The Detroit-based millionaire has a history of publicly supporting Bitcoin and encouraging its mainstream adoption.
As reported by U.Today, Pulte observed the increasing institutional acceptance of cryptocurrency, stating, "Wall Street has started to pick up the wisdom of Bitcoin".
Back in 2020, Pulte advised his 3 million social media followers to "keep an eye" on Bitcoin.
Pulte is convinced that the cryptocurrency could be instrumental in helping unbanked populations access financial systems.
He previously launched an initiative distributing funds to CashApp users specifically to encourage them to "stack some sats" and hold them.
Dan Burgin
