US Senate minority leader blasts Trump's pick of Bill Pulte as acting intelligence chief

US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday criticized President Donald Trump's selection of Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence.

Speaking on the Senate floor, Schumer described the appointment as "another Trump low" and questioned Pulte's fitness to oversee the nation's intelligence agencies.

"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," Schumer said. "Pulte's already proven himself willing to act as a Trump puppet, and now Donald Trump wants to put him in charge of the nation's intelligence, a place where integrity is demanded."

His remarks came right after Trump appointed housing finance chief Pulte as acting director of national intelligence. His appointment follows Tulsi Gabbard's resignation in late May.

Schumer accused Pulte of lacking the impartiality required for the role and argued that the administration is prioritizing political loyalty over professional judgment.

He warned that the appointment comes at a time of increasing global security challenges and said intelligence leaders must remain focused on objective analysis rather than political considerations.

The Senate minority leader also linked the appointment to what he characterized as broader shortcomings in the administration's foreign policy decision-making.

"This nomination raises a fundamental question: Is the president looking for independent intelligence or political validation? His fiascos in foreign policy, most recently in Iran, show he doesn't listen to facts or intelligence, and he's going to get even more trouble with Bill Pulte in this very sensitive job," Schumer said.

Schumer concluded by arguing that the intelligence community's mission must remain independent of partisan politics.

"The intelligence community exists to protect the American people, not to serve as another instrument of presidential retribution," he said.