>Dough
TYB
>>24673473 PB
>Senators Thune and Cotton React to Pulte as Acting ODNI
Everyone, especially MSNOW is big mad about Pulte
Scaramucci model
>Everyone, especially MSNOW is big mad about Pulte
>Scaramucci model
5 hours ago -
Politics & Policy
Thune hits breaking point with Trump
Mike Zapler
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Senate Majority Leader John Thune has broken with President Trump several times lately.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) talks to reporters outside his office June 01, 2026. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
The shift the past few weeks has been subtle but unmistakable: John Thune sounds like a man who's had it with President Trump.
Why it matters: In a departure from the past 18 months, the Senate majority leader has publicly broken with the president on a string of recent controversies.
It's a sign that Trump's sway with congressional Republicans is waning as he approaches the back half of his term.
The latest: Trump named Bill Pulte — a MAGA attack dog who's used his position as the federal housing finance chief to go after the president's enemies — acting director of national intelligence on Tuesday, despite a resume with no apparent intelligence experience.
Thune's verdict: "We don't need a weaponized DNI, we need professionals there." If the White House wants Pulte in the job permanently, "he's got a lengthy road ahead of him," the Senate leader added.
The big picture: Thune, in his low-key manner, has made his differences with Trump known repeatedly in recent weeks.
"I'm not a big fan," Thune said of Trump's proposal for a $1.78 billion "anti-weaponization" fund. Critics, including much of the Senate Republican Conference, said the money could have been used to compensate rioters in the Jan. 6 attacks. "I don't see a purpose for it." At another point, he said the proposal "doesn't pass the smell test."
After the nonpartisan Senate parliamentarian ruled that money for Trump's proposed ballroom couldn't be included in an immigration enforcement bill, the president demanded she be fired: "Get smart and tough Republicans, or you'll all be looking for a job much sooner than you thought possible!"
Thune wouldn't bite. Instead, he argued the problem wasn't the parliamentarian — it was the vote count. He's repeatedly bucked Trump's call to do away with the filibuster.
Thune was visibly disappointed when Trump endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Texas Republican Senate primary — after months urging the president to get behind his friend and colleague, Sen. John Cornyn.
"None of us controls what the president does. He made his decision about that. That doesn't change the way I feel. I will certainly continue to be supportive of Sen. Cornyn," Thune told reporters. Cornyn lost in a rout.
Flashback: Thune and Trump have had run-ins before.
In Dec. 2020, Thune said efforts by some House members to reject the election results would "go down like a shot dog" in the Senate. "South Dakota doesn't like weakness," the president lashed out in response. "He will be primaried in 2022, political career over!!!"
Thune endorsed Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) for president in 2024, then backed Trump after Scott dropped out. That came after Thune said he'd "always been worried" about Trump's viability as a general election candidate.
Yes, but: Thune has been with the president on his biggest priorities, from tariffs and nominees to immigration and tax cuts in the "One Big Beautiful Bill."
What they're saying: "I think the president has overwhelming support among Republicans across the country," Thune told reporters Tuesday. "We continue to listen to his advice and counsel and do everything we can to help the country succeed, because I think in the end that's what the American people expect, and frankly, that's what our jobs are all about."
"The White House and President Trump have enjoyed working closely with Leader Thune and Senate Republicans to deliver on many important promises to the American people, including the largest tax cut for working Americans in history," White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement. "While the media attempts to sow nonexistent divisions, we look forward to continuing this close relationship with Leader Thune and fulfilling President Trump's agenda that Americans elected him to enact."
The bottom line: Thune isn't staging a revolt, but his understated resistance speaks volumes.
https://www.axios.com/2026/06/03/thune-trump-pushback-senate
Looks like the right pick
GOP Sen. Tillis slams Trump intelligence pick Pulte: ‘Don’t think he has a prayer’
Published Wed, Jun 3 20268:22 AM EDTUpdated 23 Min Ago
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Kevin Breuninger
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Key Points
Republican Sen. ThomTillis on Wednesday blasted Bill Pulte, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. intelligence community, as an “incendiary attack dog.”
“I don’t think he has a prayer” of making it through the Senate and becoming the permanent director of national intelligence, Tillis said of Pulte on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”
Trump said that Pulte will serve as acting DNI while continuing to work as FHFA director and chairman of the mortgage groups Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
In this article
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WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 5: Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) questions Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent during a Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hearing in Washington, DC on February 5, 2026. (Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) questions Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent during a Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hearing in Washington, DC on February 5, 2026.
Nathan Posner | Anadolu | Getty Images
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis on Wednesday blasted President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. intelligence community as an “incendiary attack dog” who has no path to being confirmed by the Senate.
The remarks on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” from the retiring North Carolina senator added to the growing backlash against Bill Pulte, the current head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, whom Trump appointed acting director of national intelligence on Tuesday.
“I don’t think he has a prayer” of making it through the Senate and becoming the permanent DNI, Tillis said of Pulte.
Sen. Tillis: Actions by WH officials are the single greatest threat to us keeping the majority
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Sen. Tillis: Actions by WH officials are the single greatest threat to us keeping the majority
“Whoever told the president to go ahead and commit to this publicly before vetting it should lose their jobs, because they should know that the math just works against Pulte being confirmed,” he said.
But the senator also acknowledged that the Trump administration could try to skirt the issue by simply leaving Pulte in place with the “acting” title instead of trying to push for full confirmation.
Pulte, who has no known prior experience in an intelligence role, is widely viewed as a Trump loyalist who has targeted the president’s political foes during his tenure leading the housing regulatory agency.
>GOP Sen. Tillis slams Trump intelligence pick Pulte: ‘Don’t think he has a prayer’
Those targets include Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook and New York Attorney General Letitia James, who both faced allegations of mortgage-related wrongdoing by Pulte.
Trump said that Pulte will serve as acting DNI while continuing to work as FHFA director and chairman of the mortgage groups Fannie Mae
and Freddie Mac. Pulte is replacing outgoing DNI Tulsi Gabbard, who said last month that she would resign June 30.
Tillis told CNBC that Pulte “got removed from his family board the moment the family no longer owned 51%,” and later made such critical statements “that his father and aunt disavowed him having any association with their family trust.”
Tillis was referring to reports that Pulte, a scion of the founder of homebuilding giant PulteGroup, was pushed off the company’s board in 2020 amid disagreements with other directors. The senator also appeared to reference a statement from the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation, clarifying that Bill Pulte, who maintains a highly active social media presence, does not speak for his family “in any capacity.”
“Why do I bring that up? I bring it up because it suggests a temperament that’s probably not right for the DNI role,” Tillis said.
“I don’t believe he’s ever had a security clearance. He clearly has no experience in intelligence, he has no geopolitical experience, no international connections — the sorts of things you would look for” in a DNI, said Tillis.
“He’s got a structural problem. He simply doesn’t have 51 votes on the Senate floor, and he may not even have the votes in [the Senate intelligence] committee, and we just need to tell the president that clearly,” the senator said.
Tillis isn’t the only Republican to voice concerns about Pulte.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., who lost his primary election last month after Trump backed a rival Republican, said during an interview Tuesday at CNBC’s CEO Council Summit that Pulte does not appear “competent” to serve as acting DNI.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, “We don’t need a weaponized DNI, we need professionals there.”
The White House and the FHFA did not immediately respond to CNBC’s requests for comment.
Tillis also on CNBC suggested that Pulte’s promotion could further imperil efforts to get Congress to pass key legislation — some of which has already been jeopardized by other controversies, such as the now-scrapped $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund.”
“They need to understand timing,” he said of the Trump administration. “My God, you put forth this restitution fund when we’re trying to get Homeland Security funded for three years, and you think that’s going to go well in the same week.”
“Then you want to get [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Section] 702 authorized, and you put an incendiary attack dog like Pulte out on the agenda,” he said.
“Whoever these people are in the White House need to get the hell out of the White House,” Tillis said. “I am tired of amateur hour.”
>Looks like the right pick
Trump’s Pulte Pick For Intelligence Chief Blasted Far And Wide—Top Senate Republican Says ‘We Need Professionals’
BySara Dorn,
Forbes Staff.
Sara Dorn is a Forbes news reporter who covers politics.
Jun 02, 2026, 01:18pm EDTJun 02, 2026, 02:44pm EDT
Topline
Critics spanning the political spectrum blasted President Donald Trump’s new pick for national intelligence director, Bill Pulte, on Tuesday, noting he has no national security or intelligence experience and a history of weaponizing government agencies to go after Trump’s enemies.
Trump National Intelligence
Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Bill Pulte, speaks to reporters at the White House on July 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Key Facts
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told CNN “we don’t need a weaponized DNI, we need professionals there,” adding Pulte has a “lengthy road ahead of him” if Trump wants to make his appointment permanent through the Senate confirmation process.
Trump said Tuesday he tapped Pulte as acting director of national intelligence after Tulsi Gabbard announced her resignation last month, effective June 30.
Pulte will continue serving in his roles as chair of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac and director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency while heading ODNI.
In addition to Thune,lame duck Republican Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Bill Cassidy, R-La., also told reporters they had concerns about Pulte’s qualifications.
Several members of the Senate intelligence committee, which would need to approve his appointment if Trump wanted to make him director permanently, said they were baffled or outright disagreed with the choice:Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, told Politico “this appointment makes no sense,” andSen. Mark Warner,D-Va., said Pulte has “demonstrated not just willingness but eagerness to use the authorities of government to pursue political retribution.”
Conservative talk radio host Erick Erickson called Pulte “one of the worst members of the President’s Team,” while conservative lawyer Gregg Nunziata said “Bill Pulte should be facing an impeachment inquiry, not a promotion to oversee a sensitive portfolio.”
Contra
Some in Trump’s circle cheered Pulte’s appointment. Steve Bannon called it“a middle finger to Republican members of the Senate,”who Trump is feuding with over a number of issues, including his now-paused anti-weaponization fund and White House ballroom project. Right-wing activist Jack Posobiec said Trump “just appointed a fighter,” calling Pulte “a man who knows how to get things done and has been loyal to the President since Day One.”
Key Background
Gabbard announced her resignation May 22, citing her husband’s cancer diagnosis, following a tumultuous tenure in which she publicly clashed with Trump over the Iran war. Trump initially appointed Deputy Director of National Intelligence Aaron Lukas to fill her role. Lukas worked in the first Trump administration and under former President Barack Obama. As head of the FHFA, Pulte spearheaded the controversial campaign to accuse Trump’s enemies of mortgage fraud. He referred New York Attorney General Letitia James, Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif, Fulton Country District Attorney Fani Willis and Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook to the Justice Department,but only James has been charged so far and her case was dismissed. Pulte is the grandson of the late William J. Pulte, billionaire founder of the PulteGroup residential building company. Pulte served on the company’s board until 2020 and has since had a falling out with his family’s charitable foundation, which released a statement in 2024 distancing itself from Pulte. He has been referred to as “Little Trump” for his abrasive leadership style, including aggressive efforts to identify and oust leakers and go after Trump’s foes. In the James case, Pulte was accused of improperly obtaining her mortgage records through his role at Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, according to an internal complaint reported on by The Wall Street Journal, which subsequently reported about a dozen internal investigators at the company were fired in the wake of the complaints against Pulte.
Tangent
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened to punch Pulte “in the f- - -ing face” at a private dinner with Trump officials and allies in Washington last year, Politico reported, citing multiple anonymous sources. Bessent was reportedly incensed that Pulte had been mad-mouthing him to Trump.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2026/06/02/trumps-pulte-pick-for-intelligence-chief-blasted-far-and-wide-top-senate-republican-says-we-need-professionals/
>Everyone, especially MSNOW is big mad about Pulte
>Scaramucci model
>Thune hits breaking point with Trump
>GOP Sen. Tillis slams Trump intelligence pick Pulte: ‘Don’t think he has a prayer’
>Trump’s Pulte Pick For Intelligence Chief Blasted Far And Wide—Top Senate Republican Says ‘We Need Professionals’