2026-06-02T21:45:07.707Z / 美国有线电视新闻网（CNN）
- 一位消息人士称，总统唐纳德·特朗普希望其下一任国家情报总监能迅速打击所谓的“深层政府”，而比尔·普尔蒂被认为是一个“快速行动、打破陈规的人”。
- 据知情消息人士透露，特朗普认为国家情报总监在过去和现在的选举安全事务中都将扮演核心角色。
- 总统对普尔蒂利用其住房部门职位，以创新方式有效打击政治对手的做法印象深刻。
本文由人工智能生成摘要，并经CNN编辑审核。
Tulsi Gabbard上月宣布将辞去国家情报总监一职后，幕后的人事角逐几乎立刻拉开序幕。
熟悉相关讨论的三位消息人士向CNN透露，一些盟友告诉特朗普，应该用拥有更多情报工作经验的人士取代加伯德；另一些人则主张任命一位在伊朗问题上持相同立场的人选。但对特朗普而言，最终胜出的最有说服力的理由是，挑选一个愿意对抗建制派和情报界所谓“深层政府”的人。
特朗普选择了比尔·普尔蒂作为其情报负责人，此人是一名忠诚派，没有展现过任何国家安全或情报工作经验。但他有一项过往记录：在担任特朗普政府住房融资总监期间，他在过去一年里通过提交刑事举报，打击了多位特朗普眼中最主要的政治对手。
一位消息人士表示，这一决定的根源在于特朗普最看重的一点：快速达成目标。
“特朗普喜欢图尔西，但她行事非常有条不紊，善于思考。比尔是那种快速行动、打破陈规的人，”该消息人士说。
三位消息人士告诉CNN，普尔蒂曾明确向特朗普表示，他希望在政府内获得更大的角色和更多职责，包括在内阁职位出现空缺时接任的可能性。另一位消息人士称，在加伯德宣布离职后，普尔蒂直接游说总统让其担任国家情报总监一职。
现年38岁的普尔蒂是一位从富商转型而来的联邦住房金融局局长，如今他将拥有更大的平台，来处理特朗普最不满的议题——从约翰·布伦南等前情报总监，到俄罗斯干预2016年大选的相关评估，再到特朗普毫无根据的2020年大选被窃取的指控。
多位了解这一任命决定的消息人士告诉CNN，此次选拔的理由很简单：特朗普欣赏普尔蒂的行事风格，并认为他有可能在国家情报总监职位上复制此前的做法。两位消息人士透露，特朗普在周一晚间做出了任命普尔蒂担任该职位的决定。
“这件事不需要过多思考——特朗普总统希望该职位由真正忠诚的人担任，会按他的意愿行事。比尔就是这样的人，”一位与普尔蒂关系密切的消息人士告诉CNN。“比尔和总统的沟通频率比我认识的任何人都高。”
另一位知情消息人士称，特朗普最近几天曾向加伯德透露过让普尔蒂担任国家情报总监的想法，但没有告知她任命公布的具体时间。特朗普此前曾宣布，在加伯德于6月30日离职后，国家情报总监办公室 Principal Deputy Director 亚伦·卢卡斯将出任代理总监。
由于普尔蒂此前已通过参议院确认担任过另一职务，因此他无需国会进一步批准即可担任代理职务。
“总统会挑选最优秀、最有才华的人进入内阁。这也是本届政府为美国民众取得创纪录成就的原因。比尔·普尔蒂是出色的人选，他将为美国民众出色地完成工作，”白宫发言人戴维斯·英格尔在给CNN的一份声明中表示。
特朗普任命普尔蒂担任代理国家情报总监最具深远影响的一点在于，在特朗普呼吁“全国化”的中期选举前夕，一名忠诚派将有机会影响总统的决策。总统的一些盟友曾敦促他宣布国家紧急状态以掌控选举——专家警告称，这一举措可能基于虚假的外国干预指控。
加伯德本人也卷入过有争议的选举相关行动，包括去年在波多黎各扣押并测试投票机，以及今年早些时候参与联邦调查局对富尔顿县2020年选票的扣押行动。
“天知道他会利用、制造或创造什么，”参议院情报委员会最高民主党议员、弗吉尼亚州参议员马克·华纳在谈及普尔蒂时说。“我们已经看到图尔西·加伯德下场抢夺选票的情况，我认为普尔蒂迄今为止的从政记录，会让加伯德的行为看起来相对温和。”
作为住房部门负责人，普尔蒂表现出了积极打击特朗普眼中对手的意愿。他向司法部提交了针对四名推动调查特朗普的民主党人的抵押贷款欺诈刑事举报：纽约州总检察长莱蒂西亚·詹姆斯、参议员亚当·希夫、前众议员埃里克·斯沃韦尔以及富尔顿县地区检察官凡妮·威利斯。他还就类似的欺诈指控举报了联邦储备委员会理事丽莎·库克——特朗普曾利用这些指控试图解雇库克。
上述五人均否认了普尔蒂提出的抵押贷款欺诈指控，针对詹姆斯的调查最终提起了诉讼，但后来被联邦法官驳回。
普尔蒂还是去年呼吁前美联储主席杰罗姆·鲍威尔辞职的最直言不讳的特朗普盟友之一——甚至通过联邦住房金融局的新闻稿散布虚假谣言，暗示鲍威尔即将辞职。
据知情消息人士透露，特朗普认为国家情报总监在过去和现在的选举安全事务中都将扮演核心角色。许多特朗普盟友预计，普尔蒂——曾与总统就MAGA盟友所称的“大谎言”达成共识——将在这些行动中支持特朗普。
一位了解该任命决定的人士告诉CNN，特朗普对普尔蒂利用其住房部门职位有效打击对手的做法印象深刻，即便这些努力并未取得成功。
“这正是特朗普希望负责选举安全工作的人选具备的特质。比尔会毫无顾忌地放手去做，”该人士说。
除了影响与选举相关的事务，普尔蒂还可能致力于解密一些令总统感兴趣的文件。消息人士称，特朗普政府官员此前曾批评国家情报总监在搜寻和解密对总统政治有利的材料方面行动过于缓慢，例如与2020年大选相关的材料。
但将继续兼任住房部门负责人的普尔蒂，在白宫和特朗普政府内部也是一位颇具争议的人物。
“很多人都极其厌恶普尔蒂，”其中一位消息人士说，并指出他以利用总统推行自己的议程而闻名。
去年普尔蒂向特朗普提出50年期抵押贷款计划后，白宫官员对此感到不满。特朗普在Truth Social平台上提出该计划的做法让白宫内部人士措手不及，随即遭到盟友和行业专家的批评。
据CNN当时报道，去年在一个MAGA联盟组织主办的晚宴上，普尔蒂与财政部长斯科特·贝森特险些大打出手，此前贝森特指责普尔蒂私下在总统面前说他的坏话。
在特朗普的第二任期内，国家情报总监的职权有所缩减。熟悉内部运作的消息人士告诉CNN，加伯德被排除在重大国家安全会议之外，例如围绕伊朗战争和委内瑞拉军事行动的会议，因为她的反干预主义意识形态与特朗普的行动意愿相悖。
尽管国家情报总监历来被视为最具权力的内阁职位之一，负责管理针对本土的威胁，但消息人士称，特朗普认为这一职位的重要性较低。他几乎所有的情报事务都转而求助于中央情报局局长约翰·拉特克利夫。
政府内部众所周知，加伯德和拉特克利夫之间关系紧张。一位高级白宫官员表示，这种紧张关系是加伯德将工作重心放在选举诚信事务上的部分原因，因为这让两位顶尖情报官员各自拥有了不同的职责范围。
普尔蒂的任命在国家安全专业人士和两党议员中引发了震惊。这一职位是在9/11事件后设立的，负责监督构成情报界的18个机构。
“我们不需要被武器化的国家情报总监，我们需要专业人士担任这一职位，”参议院多数党领袖约翰·图恩在被问及普尔蒂的任命时表示。“我也是刚刚听说此事，我会尝试了解更多关于他们对该职位当前想法的信息。”
一些特朗普盟友对卢卡斯——国家情报总监办公室的副手、职业情报官员，被政府内部视为加伯德的合适继任者——提出了质疑。熟悉内部讨论的消息人士告诉CNN，他们指责卢卡斯与奥巴马和拜登政府有联系，尽管他已经过了总统人事办公室的全面审查。
许多特朗普官员目前尚不清楚总统计划让普尔蒂担任该职务多久，尤其是考虑到他缺乏情报工作经验。
消息人士告诉CNN，普尔蒂在过去几年中已进入特朗普的核心圈子。作为马阿拉歌俱乐部的常客，普尔蒂的房地产背景让他能够以专业水准讨论特朗普极为关注的领域。
这并非特朗普首次任命几乎没有情报界经验的忠诚派担任代理国家情报总监。在第一任期内，特朗普任命其驻德国大使里克·格雷内尔担任该职务，尽管格雷内尔同样缺乏情报界工作经验。当时一位前白宫官员告诉CNN，特朗普是在“寻找一个‘政治人物’，会支持他”。
不过，即便格雷内尔此前并未担任过主动收集情报的职务，他在担任代理国家情报总监之前，也曾花费多年时间致力于国家安全事务并接触机密情报。格雷内尔坚称，这使他成为推动情报界变革的有力人选。
目前尚不清楚普尔蒂迄今为止有过任何接触机密信息或与情报界打交道的经历。
CNN的扎卡里·科恩、凯文·利普塔克、特德·巴雷特、埃利斯·金、马努·拉朱、莎拉·费里斯、艾莉森·梅因和基特·马赫尔为本报道做出了贡献。
Why Trump selected an acting director of national intelligence with no intel experience
2026-06-02T21:45:07.707Z / CNN
- President Donald Trump wanted his next director of national intelligence to take on the so-called “deep state” quickly — and Bill Pulte was known as a “move-fast-and-break-things kind of guy,” one source said.
- Trump sees the director of national intelligence as playing a central role in election security, both past and present, sources familiar with the matter said.
- The president has been impressed with Pulte finding novel ways to use his housing role to effectively go after political foes.
AI-generated summary was reviewed by a CNN editor.
The behind-the-scenes jockeying began almost immediately after Tulsi Gabbard announced last month that she would resign as director of national intelligence.
Some allies told President Donald Trump he should replace Gabbard with someone who had more intelligence experience. Others said he should go with someone who held the same views on Iran. But for Trump, the most compelling argument that ultimately won out was picking someone who had shown a willingness to take on the establishment and the so-called “deep state” of the intelligence community, three sources familiar with the discussions described to CNN.
In Bill Pulte, Trump selected as his intelligence chief a loyalist with no demonstrated national security or intelligence experience. What he did have: a record of going after many of Trump’s biggest perceived political enemies through criminal referrals sent over the past year from his perch as Trump’s housing finance director.
One source said the decision was rooted in what Trump cares about most: Getting what he wants done — and quickly.
“Trump likes Tulsi, but she’s very methodical. She’s a thinker. Bill is a move-fast-and-break-things kind of guy,” the source said.
Pulte had made it clear to Trump that he wanted a bigger role and more responsibility within the administration, including the possibility of a Cabinet position should one become available, three sources told CNN. A separate source said he directly lobbied the president to lead DNI after Gabbard announced she was leaving.
Now Pulte, 38, a wealthy businessman-turned-director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, will have an even bigger platform to take on Trump’s biggest perceived grievances — from former intelligence chiefs like John Brennan and the assessment of Russia’s 2016 election interference to Trump’s baseless claims that the 2020 election was stolen.
Multiple sources familiar with the decision told CNN that the rationale for the pick was simple: Trump liked what he saw from Pulte and believed he could potentially replicate it at DNI. Trump made his decision to put Pulte in the role Monday night, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
“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 close to Pulte told CNN. “Pulte speaks to the president more than anyone I know.”
Another source familiar with the matter said Trump floated the idea of Pulte as DNI with Gabbard in recent days, though he did not tell her when the announcement would be coming. Trump previously announced that Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Aaron Lukas would become the acting director when Gabbard leaves her office on June 30.
Because Pulte has previously been confirmed by the Senate for another position, he’s eligible to perform in an acting role without further congressional approval.
“The President chooses the best and most talented people to serve in his Cabinet. That is why this Administration has achieved record successes for the American people. Bill Pulte is a great selection and he will do a great job on behalf of the American people,” White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement to CNN.
What’s perhaps most consequential about Trump tapping Pulte as acting director is that it puts a loyalist in a position to influence the president’s actions ahead of the midterm elections, which Trump has called for “nationalizing.” Some of the president’s allies have urged him to declare a national emergency to take control of the election — a move that experts have warned could be based on a spurious claim of foreign interference.
Gabbard, too, was involved in controversial election efforts, including seizing and testing voting machines in Puerto Rico last year and taking part in an FBI seizure of Fulton County’s 2020 ballots earlier this year.
“Who knows what he could use, manufacture, create,” Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said of Pulte. “We already saw it with Tulsi Gabbard going down and grabbing ballots. I think Pulte’s record in government so far makes Gabbard’s look relatively benign.”
As housing director, Pulte showed his eagerness to go after Trump’s perceived enemies. He sent the Justice Department criminal referrals on allegations of mortgage fraud against four Democrats who have pushed investigations into Trump: New York Attorney General Letitia James, Sen. Adam Schiff, former Rep. Eric Swalwell and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. He also referred Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over similar fraud claims — allegations that Trump used to try to fire her.
All five people have denied Pulte’s mortgage fraud allegations, and only the probe into James resulted in charges, although they were later thrown out by a federal judge.
Pulte also was one of the most vocal Trump allies calling for the resignation of former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell last year — even spreading a false rumor with an FHFA press release suggesting that Powell’s resignation would be imminent.
Trump sees the director of national intelligence as playing a central role in election security, both past and present, sources familiar with the matter said. Many Trump allies expect Pulte — who has commiserated with the president over what MAGA allies have deemed “the Big Lie” — to support Trump in these efforts.
The president has been impressed with Pulte finding novel ways to use his housing role to effectively go after Trump’s opponents, even if those efforts haven’t proven to be successful, a person familiar with the decision told CNN.
“That’s exactly the type of stuff Trump wants in the person leading election security efforts. Bill will go there, unabashedly,” the person said.
In addition to influencing election-related issues, Pulte could also work to declassify certain documents that interest the president. Trump officials have previously criticized DNI for moving too slowly to hunt down and declassify materials that politically benefit the president, sources said, such as those related to the 2020 election.
But Pulte, who will remain in his role as housing director, is also a controversial person inside the West Wing and the Trump administration.
“A lot of people absolutely detest Pulte,” one of the sources said, noting that he has earned a reputation of pushing his own agenda with the president.
White House officials were frustrated with Pulte after he pitched Trump on a 50-year-mortgage plan last year. Trump blindsided people within the White House by suggesting the plan on Truth Social, which was immediately criticized by allies and industry experts.
Last year, Pulte almost came to blows with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during a dinner hosted by a MAGA-aligned group, after Bessent accused Pulte of speaking negatively about him to the president in private, CNN reported at the time.
In Trump’s second term, the role of DNI shrunk. Gabbard was left out of major national security meetings, such as those focused on the Iran war and military action in Venezuela, because her anti-interventionist ideology clashed with Trump’s desire to act, sources familiar with the internal dynamics told CNN.
While the DNI has historically been viewed as one of the most powerful Cabinet positions, tasked with managing threats specific to the homeland, Trump views it as less significant, sources familiar with his thinking said. He has instead looked to his CIA director, John Ratcliffe, for nearly all intelligence matters.
It was well known within the administration that Gabbard and Ratcliffe had a fraught relationship. A senior White House official said that the tensions were part of the reason that Gabbard focused her efforts on election integrity, because it gave each of the top intelligence officials a different lane.
Pulte’s appointment sparked shock among national security professionals and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The role, created after 9/11, oversees the 18 agencies that make up the intelligence community.
“We don’t need a weaponized DNI. We need professionals there,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said when asked about Pulte’s appointment. “I’ve just heard about it. I’ll try and get more information about the current state of their thinking about that position.”
Some Trump allies sowed doubts about Lukas — the deputy at ODNI and a career intelligence official who was seen as a solid successor to Gabbard within the administration — sources familiar with internal discussions told CNN. They accused him of having ties to the Obama and Biden administrations, though he had already been fully vetted by the Presidential Personnel Office.
It was not immediately clear to many Trump officials how long the president plans to keep Pulte in the role, especially given his lack of intelligence experience.
Pulte has made his way into Trump’s inner circle over the past few years, sources told CNN. A regular at Mar-a-Lago, Pulte’s real estate background gave him the ability to discuss, with a level of knowledge, an area that Trump cares deeply about.
And this is not the first time Trump has tapped a loyalist with little-to-no intelligence community experience to serve as acting DNI. During his first term, Trump named his ambassador to Germany, Ric Grenell, to fill the same role despite a similar lack of experience in the intelligence community. At the time, a former White House official told CNN that Trump was “looking for a ‘political’ who will have his back.”
Still, Grenell spent years working on national security issues and consuming classified intelligence prior to being appointed as acting DNI, even if he had not previously served in a role that involved actively collecting intelligence. Grenell maintained that that made him a strong candidate to push changes within the intelligence community.
It is unclear what, if any, experience Pulte has had consuming classified information or engaging with the intelligence community to date.
CNN’s Zachary Cohen, Kevin Liptak, Ted Barrett, Ellis Kim, Manu Raju, Sarah Ferris, Alison Main and Kit Maher contributed to this report.