Acting officials abound in Trump’s presidency, prompting constitutional questions

Trump increasingly relies on acting heads across agencies, appoints Bill Pulte to temporarily oversee the intelligence community, and uses a patchwork of roles that skirts Senate confirmations. The piece argues this tests the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and constitutional advice-and-consent, highlights hundreds of unfilled Senate-approved positions, and warns that the reliance on acting officials risks waste, conflicts of interest, and weaker governance.