President Donald Trump’s pick for acting director of national intelligence, Bill Pulte, showed up at his new job a day early on Thursday. Pulte, a Trump loyalist with no intelligence experience, is eyeing cuts to hundreds of jobs at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).

Pulte’s Background

Pulte’s appearance at ODNI on Thursday caught staff off-guard, including the outgoing director, Tulsi Gabbard. Trump himself has said that Pulte would start his job on Friday. Pulte met with lawyers and staffers during his visit.

Pulte has been a loyal supporter of Trump and has sent the Justice Department criminal referrals on allegations of mortgage fraud against multiple Democrats who have pushed investigations into Trump. Critics fear that Pulte will use his new position to pursue Trump’s vendettas.

Concerns Over Pulte’s Appointment

There is concern from Democrats and some Republicans on Capitol Hill that Pulte is unfit for the job and that he could go further than Gabbard did in embracing Trump’s grievances in what is supposed to be an apolitical role.

Pulte’s elevation within Trump’s orbit has even irked some of Trump’s closest advisers and allies. Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has kept a tight circle around the president, one that Pulte has completely circumvented through direct calls to the president.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.