John Thune

The U.S. does not need a "weaponized" director of national intelligence, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Tuesday, as lawmakers reacted to President Donald Trump's decision to appoint Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte to serve as acting head of the U.S. intelligence community, The Hill reported.

Thune, speaking with reporters at the Capitol, said that any effort to install Pulte permanently as director of national intelligence would require Senate confirmation and scrutiny from lawmakers.

"If they nominate him to take the position permanently, he'll have to go through a confirmation process and hearings and everything else, so we'll see," Thune said.

Thune's comments came after he was asked whether he was concerned that Pulte could use the position to pursue political opponents, citing criticism that the FHFA chief has leveraged mortgage records to probe individuals viewed as adversaries of the Trump administration.

"We don't need a weaponized DNI; we need professionals there," Thune said.

He added: "I just heard about it. I'll try and get more information about the current state of their thinking about that position. If he's somebody they want in that position permanently, he's got a lengthy road ahead of him."

Pulte, heir to the family behind homebuilding giant Pulte Homes, has served as director of the FHFA during Trump's second term. Pulte's tenure has drawn criticism from Democrats after he launched inquiries into mortgage and housing records involving several high-profile Democratic officials.

Among those scrutinized by Pulte were Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.

Pulte alleged that Cook improperly designated two separate homes as her primary residence to obtain favorable mortgage terms. He has also questioned whether James and Schiff complied with mortgage lending requirements.

Pulte previously referred allegations involving James to the Justice Department, claiming she may have committed homeowner's insurance fraud, according to CNN.

Reaction on Capitol Hill was mixed, with some lawmakers expressing concern about Pulte's lack of intelligence experience, according to The Hill.

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said she was unfamiliar with Pulte and questioned whether he had any background in intelligence matters.

"I have no knowledge of this individual at all," Collins told reporters.

After learning that Pulte currently leads the FHFA, Collins added, "I don't know whether he has an intel background before that."

Democrats were far more critical of the appointment.

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, accused Pulte of using his current office to advance Trump's political interests and warned that his elevation could undermine the independence of the intelligence community.

"Americans have already seen Mr. Pulte use the powers of his office at the Federal Housing Finance Agency to pursue the president's grievances and lend credibility to dubious prosecutions of President Trump's perceived political opponents," Warner said in a statement.

Warner argued that naming Pulte to oversee the nation's intelligence agencies signals that Trump is seeking loyalty rather than objective analysis.

"Elevating him to oversee the Intelligence Community makes clear that this president is not looking for an intelligence leader who will follow the facts or speak truth to power, but rather someone who will be willing to shape intelligence around the president's wishes, regardless of the cost to the American people," Warner said.

While acting appointments do not require Senate confirmation, any nomination to serve permanently as director of national intelligence would trigger hearings before the Senate Intelligence Committee and a vote by the full Senate.