Bill Pulte, who heads the regulator for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, will also take on the role of acting director of national intelligence.

His elevation on Tuesday of Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to serve as America’s new acting top spymaster was therefore a classic political move.

In a social media post, Trump said Pulte, 38, will ‌temporarily replace the departing Tulsi Gabbard in the intelligence post but will also continue serving as director of the Federal Housing Finance A...