He's Called 'Little Trump,' and His Tactics Are Rankling White House Top Brass

Bill Pulte marched into the Oval Office this summer and delivered one of his signature performances.

Pulte, who heads the Federal Housing Finance Agency, told the president he had identified leakers who were undermining the administration. He was carrying a “Ghostbusters”-style poster that featured pictures of administration officials and outside allies, outlined by red circles with lines through their faces, according to officials familiar with the meeting.

For many in the West Wing, it was classic Pulte: an attention-grabbing move to burrow into President Trump’s good graces by attacking the president’s perceived enemies.

Pulte, a 37-year-old heir to a home-building fortune, has emerged as one of the most polarizing figures inside and outside the Trump administration. Referred to by some as “Little Trump,” his job is to oversee mortgage-finance giants Fannie Mae FNMA 5.79%increase; green up pointing triangle and Freddie Mac FMCC 3.70%increase; green up pointing triangle, which back nearly half the mortgages in the country.

Pulte has routinely made waves from that low-profile post, digging up opposition research on the president’s foes, ousting legal and ethics watchdogs who investigated the FHFA director’s conduct, and lashing out at companies in the housing world. Most recently, he has championed the idea of introducing a 50-year mortgage in the U.S.—a proposal that got a cool reception in Washington, even from many on the right.

https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/bill-pulte-profile-d000c844?st=RgYmns