President Donald Trump has appointed political loyalist Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence, sparking widespread bipartisan backlash. Lawmakers, particularly Democrats, have slammed Pulte for his complete lack of national security experience and intelligence background, expressing concern that he could use the office's spying powers to target political enemies.
The appointment has imperiled the reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, a powerful law allowing the U.S. to gather intelligence abroad. The key provision is set to expire at the end of this week on June 12, and lawmakers have so far refused to extend the surveillance programme.
President Trump has pushed back against the criticism and urged Congress to approve a short-term extension of the surveillance powers. He stated that a temporary extension would provide time for the selection and confirmation of a permanent director of national intelligence, signaling that Pulte's tenure as acting chief will be short-lived.
Despite these requests, a lapse in the law grew more likely on Wednesday as the president resisted calls from Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill to immediately name a permanent head of the nation's intelligence agencies.