Speaking to reporters before departing Joint Base Andrews for an event in North Dakota, Trump said Pulte has broad authority while serving in the role.
"Bill s there, just, you know, for maybe a month or two months or something," Trump said. "But while he s there, I said, You can declassify whatever you want. "
When asked whether that authority also covered records related to the 2020 election, Trump replied, "I told him you could do it. It s fair. You got to ask him."
US President Donald Trump says that his acting spy chief has wide permission to declassify records, including potentially those tied to the 2020 election, even though his close ally is only at the intelligence helm for a short time. pic.twitter.com/6wU1kt0Tp1
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) July 1, 2026
Trump appointed Pulte as acting director of national intelligence last month despite his lack of national security experience, a decision that drew political criticism. He later nominated Jay Clayton, the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, to permanently lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, although Clayton s Senate confirmation is still pending.
The president said a Senate hearing on Clayton s nomination is expected in about two weeks. However, Congress is currently in recess for the July 4 holiday, and no hearing has yet been scheduled by the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Trump, who returned to the White House after winning the 2024 presidential election, has continued to claim that the 2020 election was affected by widespread fraud. However, U.S. courts and election officials have repeatedly found no evidence supporting claims of widespread election fraud.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the office of Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence oversees the U.S. intelligence community, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA), which is responsible for foreign signals intelligence and protecting the United States from cyber threats.
Pulte will continue serving as head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency while remaining acting director of national intelligence until Clayton is confirmed by the Senate. According to reports, he has already begun efforts to reduce hundreds of intelligence positions.
