Bill Pulte Set to Lead DNI, Expanding Trump’s 2026 Election Push

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 17

Bill Pulte is expected to take over as acting director of national intelligence, with officials bracing for the office to play a bigger role in the 2026 midterm elections.
Trump has pushed the agency beyond its traditional focus on foreign election interference, directing Tulsi Gabbard toward ballot seizures, voting-machine inquiries and reviews tied to his fraud claims.
That shift clashes with Democrats’ view that ODNI’s election-security powers should be limited to foreign threats, while Trump’s team argues for a broader domestic security mandate.
The expected handoff follows the administration’s rollback of election-interference infrastructure at the FBI, State Department and CISA, including the near-shutdown of ODNI’s Foreign Malign Influence Center.
Pulte has said little publicly about his plans, but his record of aligning closely with Trump’s priorities suggests Gabbard’s election-focused approach could continue.