How housing official Bill Pulte became head of US counterintelligence

Bill Pulte took over as acting Director of National Intelligence on Friday, replacing Tulsi Gabbard. The transition comes as Jay Clayton's nomination for a permanent replacement stalls — President Trump canceled Clayton's Senate confirmation hearing with no new date scheduled. Bipartisan lawmakers question whether Pulte meets the legal requirement of significant national security experience for the role. Some Republicans believe Trump appointed Pulte specifically to shrink the size and scope of the nation's intelligence community, which oversees 18 agencies.