John Thune breaks with Trump on DNI pick Bill Pulte, weaponization fund  

For someone known for keeping his head down and choosing his words carefully, Senate Majority Leader John Thune is sending a surprisingly loud message.  

And it sounds a lot like, enough is enough!  

Ok, I don’t want to overdramatize it — Thune isn’t leading a rebellion against President Trump. In fact, he’s supported many of the president’s biggest priorities, from tax cuts to immigration policies and key nominations. But over the last few weeks, something has changed. Instead of quietly navigating around disagreements, Thune has started voicing them publicly.  

The latest example came after Trump named Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence. Pulte has built a reputation as a fierce Trump loyalist, but he doesn’t have a background in intelligence or national security at all. What he does have is a record of aggressively targeting people Trump views as political enemies.  

That appears to be a bridge too far for Thune, who told reporters this week: “We don’t need a weaponized DNI. We need professionals there. … If he’s somebody we........

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