President Donald Trump said Thursday that Bill Pulte, his newly appointed acting Director of National Intelligence, will only serve in the position temporarily and will not take up the role permanently.

Trump made the comments to reporters when asked about Pulte, who currently heads the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The president described Pulte as "very smart" and having "high integrity" while emphasizing that the appointment is not intended to be permanent.

Pulte's appointment earlier this week has drawn bipartisan criticism from lawmakers. The Guardian reported that Trump suggested Pulte would investigate "rigged elections" while serving as the country's top intelligence official, continuing the president's pattern of making unfounded allegations about voting processes.

The Director of National Intelligence serves as the principal intelligence advisor to the president and oversees the U.S. intelligence community, which includes agencies such as the CIA, FBI, and NSA. The position was created following the September 11, 2001 attacks to improve coordination among intelligence agencies.

Trump's clarification about the temporary nature of Pulte's role comes amid ongoing questions about staffing in key national security positions. The president has not indicated who he might nominate for the permanent position or provided a timeline for when he expects to make that decision.