President Donald Trump has appointed Bill Pulte as the incoming Acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI). In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump said he wants Pulte to “start the process” of reducing the number of intelligence community officials.

Pulte will step in after the current DNI, Tulsi Gabbard, resigned due to her husband’s diagnosis with a rare form of cancer. Gabbard’s resignation is effective June 30. Pulte’s main task will be overseeing a decrease in employees across the 18 intelligence agencies under the DNI’s control.

“I’d like to see it smaller,” Trump told the Wall Street Journal. “I think there are a lot of people in there that shouldn’t be there.” Pulte, currently serving as the Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, has attracted criticism from some lawmakers. Former Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., voiced concern over Pulte’s appointment, stating, “We don’t need a weaponized DNI. We need professionals there.”

Trump, however, highlighted that Pulte’s outsider status motivated his choice. “You’re less shackled,” Trump said. “It sort of gives you more power, you know, for a somewhat limited period of time.” With Pulte’s interim role, Trump believes he could effectively implement changes alongside the future permanent DNI replacement.

Pulte, who also leads Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, has already impacted legislative matters. After a bipartisan block of a bill reauthorizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), Senate Select Committee on Intelligence Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., asserted that Democrats would not support the reauthorization if Pulte remains in charge.

President Trump assured the public that a search for a permanent DNI replacement is underway. He remains confident that Pulte’s temporary leadership would facilitate significant departmental restructuring.