Tuesday, June 2, 2026

GOP balks at Trump naming MAGA enforcer to lead National Intelligence

Senate Republicans greeted  President Donald Trump's decision to name Bill Pulte to serve as acting director of National Intelligence with either ignorance or opposition.

Pulte’s name was a shock. Aside from the fact that he lacks any real qualifications, there’s also the fact that for the past year, Pulte has used his perch to go after Trump’s perceived enemies, such as Federal Reserve Board of Governors member Lisa Cook and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

It’s just the latest sign that Senate Republicans’ patience with the president is wearing thin at a time when they should be unified to pass his massive immigration spending bill and to protect the Republican majority.

Trump announced the move on the heels of the Justice Department’s notification on Monday that it would abandon its planned $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund. On Tuesday, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told the House Appropriations Committee it“was not moving forward with the fund,” which had infuriated many Republicans.

It seemed like–to borrow a phrase from Sen. Susan Collins–the president had learned his lesson. But Trump’s decision seemed to cross yet another line.

And it’s coming as Trump has a contingent of Republicans who have an axe to grind after the president drove them out of a job.

Read more here. 

By Eric Garcia

Reading list

Daily briefing

Trump may have dropped his ‘slush fund’ but not the agreement for tax amnesty, Blanche says

Under the terms of the deal, the IRS is ‘forever barred and precluded’ from pursuing claims against Trump, his family or his businesses. Alex Woodward and Brendan Rascius report more. 

QUOTE OF THE DAY

But you know, treating stupid is really hard — and it becomes a real problem.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz when asked about how to treat "Trump Derangement Syndrome."  

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