'I never heard his name': Rubio blindsided by Trump's national security pick

On Tuesday, Congressional Republicans were “blindsided” by President Donald Trump's announcement that current Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Bill Pulte will double in the role of acting Director of National Intelligence, an appointment that has drawn harsh criticism. But lawmakers in Congress weren’t the only ones from Trump’s camp to be surprised by the move, as on Wednesday morning, Secretary of State Marco Rubio revealed that he’d never even heard of Pulte, who would be leading the country’s intelligence efforts amidst its largest war in years.

It was while discussing that war with the House Foreign Affairs Committee that Rubio shared his thoughts on Pulte, or lackthereof, saying, “I never heard his name.”

The Director of National Intelligence is a role that is vital to the country’s security apparatus, and in theory, when it comes to issues like the Iran war, would work in concord with the Secretary of State, who is the nation’s top diplomat. It does not bode well that one hand does not appear to know what the other is doing — or of the other’s existence in the first place.

Rubio’s admission represents the intersection of two flashpoints for the administration. First, Pulte’s appointment, which has drawn bipartisan outrage over his lack of experience and suggestions he may “weaponize” the post, as he has a proven track record for targeting Trump’s enemies. Second, the president’s fumbling approach to the war with Iran. Rubio’s testimony on Wednesday comes in the lead-up to a House war powers vote, and the fact that lawmakers are raising the issue of Pulte amid discussion of the conflict indicates that they have concerns about how his intelligence oversight will impact the war.

The Secretary of State isn’t the only prominent, relevant official to have never heard of Pulte. When Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, was asked about the appointment, she said, “I have no knowledge of this individual at all. I don’t know whether he has an intel background before that. I truly don’t know him at all.”

Others on Capitol Hill who are familiar with him have been quick to push back against his appointment.

“Whoever told the president to go ahead and commit to this publicly before vetting it should lose their jobs, because they should know that the math just works against Pulte being confirmed,” Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) told CNBC. “I don’t think he has a prayer.”

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SC) declared, “We don’t need a weaponized DNI; we need professionals there… If he’s somebody they want in that position permanently, he’s got a lengthy road ahead of him.”

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