Sen. Warner warns of risks from Pulte's intelligence appointment

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., speaks at a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 3 in Washington. Warner called on Tulsi Gabbard to testify in person after raising concerns about her presence at an FBI raid on a Georgia election office related to the 2020 election. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images President Donald Trump's decision to appoint Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence is drawing skepticism from Democrats, who question both his qualifications and the timing of the move. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told Morning Edition on Wednesday that Pulte "would not even qualify" under the law, saying he has "no experience in the military, no experience in Congress, no experience in the intel community or law enforcement" and was chosen because he is "100% loyal to doing anything and everything President Trump demands." Warner also argued that making Pulte an acting chief means he effectively gets "six months' runway" that could keep him atop the intelligence community until after the November midterm elections. Created after the Sept. 11 attacks, the director of national intelligence oversees and coordinates the nation's 18 intelligence agencies. Pulte, currently head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, has no public record of military service or national intelligence experience. He will take over for Tulsi Gabbard. …