At least four Republican senators are not feeling Bill Pulte, President Trump’s pick to replace Tulsi Gabbard as acting director of national intelligence. “I see no evidence of any qualifications for that job,” GOP Senator John Cornyn, who recently lost his reelection campaign thanks to a Trump endorsement of his opponent, told PBS’s Lisa Desjardins. “He doesn’t seem very qualified,” added Senator Bill Cassidy, who also lost his reelection campaign thanks to the president. “I don’t know of any national security experience that he has,” said Senator Thom Tillis, who is retiring at the end of this term. “So I’ll be looking at that first and foremost.”“Well, we don’t need a weaponized DNI, we need professionals there,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune. “So, again, I’ve just heard about it. I’ll try and get more information about the current state of their thinking about that position. And again, if he’s somebody they want in that position permanently, he’s got, as you all know, a lengthy road ahead of him.” Thune is right to be worried about a weaponized intelligence community in Pulte’s hands. With zero national security experience, Pulte has made a name for himself using his previous role at Fannie Mae to attack Trump’s political enemies. Now, with even Republicans voicing displeasure just hours after his announcement, any possibility of Pulte’s taking over the position permanently is firmly in jeopardy.
