Bill Pulte, Trump's pick to replace Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence, has a record of weaponizing his position for the president's gain
Trump's assignment of Pulte should tell you one very important thing. Trump no longer has any boundaries on his ignorant wish list. Keeping in mind that Trump, acting as president during one of the worst epidemics the world has known, told us to drink bleach. It's not altogether out of the question that he will order his minions to vaccinate his "enemies" with bleach as a treatment for "Trump Derangement Syndrome". It's really not so big of a leap in his heart's desire to punish Americans he deems unworthy.
And I'm being only partially facetious here. This man is nuts and there's no telling what he'll come up with next.
First paragraph, second sentence reads: "He has no intelligence background, no national security expertise, and is utterly unfit to serve as Acting DNI."
Should read: "He has no intelligence." He's an overweight nepo baby, just like his cult leader.
Thank you for this article. I wrote to my Senators telling them not to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act until Pulte’s appointment to the DNI is withdrawn.
"How Pulte has run the FHFA should alarm everyone."
It should if we knew more about what he has done there and the damage that he's caused. From his most recent elevation to head of the ODNI, it looks at the very least that the Peter Principle (people being promoted to their ultimate level of incompetence) is at play here. As pointed out, he is not only not qualified, he is a vengeful toady-lackey of Trump's. If congress cannot see a way to remove him, it needs to legislate away his power and authority.
I can't see how he could respond to a question from a senator: "Sir, what intelligence experience have you had?" Answer: " I once tried to read a spy novel, but it was too woke so I burned it." t
tRump has made a mockery of our statutes and our Constitution. We need to rethink the executive branch and how it is regulated and constituted. What good is a law mandating wide and deep experience for an appointment if the Executive can simply ignore it? And it does no good whatsoever to put 'teeth' into the statute when this Executive has suborned and corrupted the DOJ. We will need Constitutional remedies to be able to call a president on an unlawful decision and be able to charge him for corrupting yet another part of government.
Sounds like a perfect guy to sing the "drump-is-great" song during the next North-Korea style cabinet meeting.
You know, one of those meetings during which drump does not sleep but only closes his eyes, snores, drools and farts .... as he always does when being very attentive.
As I mentioned in Mr. O'Neill's article comments, FIFA has better security protocol right now than our entire nation does. The soccer federation has a fiscal motivation to maintain the highest security practices, and that entails coordination of global intelligence all the way down to the local level. That's how terrorist acts are prevented, best case, or thwarted, if necessary. If that sort of protection is of no consequence to Congress or the president, the DNI role should be eliminated.
He’s an acting DNI and not subject to confirmation. This is not the first time Trump has employed this trick. It seems like Republicans grouse about his actions and then vote to support him.
Trump's assignment of Pulte should tell you one very important thing. Trump no longer has any boundaries on his ignorant wish list. Keeping in mind that Trump, acting as president during one of the worst epidemics the world has known, told us to drink bleach. It's not altogether out of the question that he will order his minions to vaccinate his "enemies" with bleach as a treatment for "Trump Derangement Syndrome". It's really not so big of a leap in his heart's desire to punish Americans he deems unworthy.
And I'm being only partially facetious here. This man is nuts and there's no telling what he'll come up with next.
First paragraph, second sentence reads: "He has no intelligence background, no national security expertise, and is utterly unfit to serve as Acting DNI."
Should read: "He has no intelligence." He's an overweight nepo baby, just like his cult leader.
His appearance may be repulsive, but his lack of qualifications are far worse for us.
Thank you for this article. I wrote to my Senators telling them not to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act until Pulte’s appointment to the DNI is withdrawn.
Many thanks for the background. He is worse than most, and that is pretty bad!
"Pretty bad" has been our norm for decades. Only recently has our "norm" been upgraded to disgracefull.
Pulte needs to be a big NO. Thank you for putting the reasons here so clearly.
"How Pulte has run the FHFA should alarm everyone."
It should if we knew more about what he has done there and the damage that he's caused. From his most recent elevation to head of the ODNI, it looks at the very least that the Peter Principle (people being promoted to their ultimate level of incompetence) is at play here. As pointed out, he is not only not qualified, he is a vengeful toady-lackey of Trump's. If congress cannot see a way to remove him, it needs to legislate away his power and authority.
I can't see how he could respond to a question from a senator: "Sir, what intelligence experience have you had?" Answer: " I once tried to read a spy novel, but it was too woke so I burned it." t
One question: does Pulte's name appear in the Trump-Epstein Files?
A very good question, Rich!
Simple recognition of the fact that American democracy is now on the line is THE most relevant point I look for in any candidate I am being presented.
I could care less what T. Dump has done today to further the destruction of our American Democracy.
I want to know WHY America is now in the position (the truly lamentable position) that it is.
CBS is just another seat of cowardly insurrectionist traitors.
We continue to allow Americas answer to Agent Orange to walk about a free man.
We continue to ignore and shrug our shoulder at this disaster.
It will take years to fix EVERY DAY we continue to ho-hum this situation.
The media IS complicit.
tRump has made a mockery of our statutes and our Constitution. We need to rethink the executive branch and how it is regulated and constituted. What good is a law mandating wide and deep experience for an appointment if the Executive can simply ignore it? And it does no good whatsoever to put 'teeth' into the statute when this Executive has suborned and corrupted the DOJ. We will need Constitutional remedies to be able to call a president on an unlawful decision and be able to charge him for corrupting yet another part of government.
Unfit? Unqualified? No experience?
Sounds like a perfect guy to sing the "drump-is-great" song during the next North-Korea style cabinet meeting.
You know, one of those meetings during which drump does not sleep but only closes his eyes, snores, drools and farts .... as he always does when being very attentive.
As I mentioned in Mr. O'Neill's article comments, FIFA has better security protocol right now than our entire nation does. The soccer federation has a fiscal motivation to maintain the highest security practices, and that entails coordination of global intelligence all the way down to the local level. That's how terrorist acts are prevented, best case, or thwarted, if necessary. If that sort of protection is of no consequence to Congress or the president, the DNI role should be eliminated.
"Trump’s New Intel Head Is Worse than Unqualified"
Yeah, Norm, most of Washington already knows that, even the Republicans...next...
2026 is the Chinese New Year of incompetence.
We have been shrugging our shoulders and have been doing nothing for DECADES now.
We deserve everything we are now getting.
My father told me specifically that this situation would come about in 1953.
My father was right.
Without confirmation by the senate, he should be completely barred from being anywhere near that office.
He’s an acting DNI and not subject to confirmation. This is not the first time Trump has employed this trick. It seems like Republicans grouse about his actions and then vote to support him.
Read Will Sommer's gobsmacking report on Pulte on The Bulwark. "Degenerate" does not begin to describe Pulte. I believe it is NOT a paid post and should be free to read. https://www.thebulwark.com/p/bill-pulte-dni-director-national-intelligence-bbby-bbbyq-memestock-bed-bath-beyond-green-dildo