Johnson: Democrats ‘playing politics’ with FISA over Pulte appointment 

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) lambasted Democrats for suggesting that President Trump’s appointment of Bill Pulte to be acting director of national intelligence could imperil reauthorization of the nation’s foreign spy powers that are due to expire next week.

Johnson said in a press conference Wednesday that it is “absolutely outrageous” that Democrats are suggesting that they would withhold their votes for that vote “because of an interim appointment that is the president’s choice to do.”

“It is the most important intelligence tool that we have,” Johnson said of the foreign spy powers. “The idea that they would try to play politics right now because they don’t like the president’s choice of an appointment is absolutely stunning to me … These are not reasonable leaders over here. Okay, they will use pain for the American people for political purposes, and this is the latest example.”

Trump on Tuesday announced that he was making Pulte, the current director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency who has no known background in intelligence or national security, the acting director of national........

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