Mike Pence Questions If Trump’s Intel Head Pick Is Legally Able to Do The Job

Former Vice President Mike Pence raised the possibility that President Donald Trump’s pick for acting Director of National Intelligence, Bill Pulte, may not be legally allowed to take the role.

Pence spoke to CNN anchor Kate Bolduan on Wednesday, who asked him, “You have this announcement from the president — his now pick for acting director, Bill Pulte. What do you think of him?”

“Well, I don’t know him,” Pence replied.

Bolduan pressed, “Do you think the Director of National Intelligence should have intelligence experience and national security experience?”

“Well, I was in Washington, D.C. on September 11. I was there when the Congress stood up the Director of National Intelligence and that department, and it was all designed to make sure that our intelligence agencies were all talking to one another, because 9/11 happened in part because the people at the FBI knew things the people at the CIA didn’t know, and we missed the terrorist plot,” Pence replied, adding:

And when we stood that up, if memory serves, we actually said in the law that it requires a Director of National Intelligence with intelligence and security experience, and I expect there will be issues around Bill Pulte’s nomination. He can serve as the acting DNI for some time, but I would hope that when a permanent DNI is appointed by the administration, it’ll be a man or woman who brings an extensive background in national security.

Look, we’re living in an ever more dangerous world. We are at war with the leading state sponsor of terrorism, that we know for a fact has assets in this country. Now more than ever, we need experienced men and women at the DNI’s office, at CIA and FBI, and I think the Senate will call for that.

Watch the clip above via CNN.

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