Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte has fired 6 appointees put in place by former Director Tulsi Gabbard
Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte has fired six political appointees put in place by former Director Tulsi Gabbard and removed dozens of career intelligence officials from their roles, according to four sources familiar with the moves.The 45 career officials were on joint duty assignment at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), meaning they were working at the agency but are technically employed by other intelligence agencies, and were sent back to their home offices, sources told CNN . The National Counterterrorism Center, a component of ODNI that had previously been expected to be a key target for Pulte, was not impacted by the cuts, one source familiar with the situation said. “Today, I spent time with the National Counterterrorism Center team, who is doing an incredible job protecting our Country under President Trump’s leadership,” Pulte said on X Tuesday evening. “The room was filled with true professionals and American patriots. It is a privilege to work beside them.”Another source familiar with the matter said there could be as many as two dozen additional firings in the coming weeks, but the cuts would unlikely go beyond that. This source said Pulte has been consulting career intelligence officials on the reductions.The removals represent the first major move in Pulte’s mandate to make drastic reductions at the spy office, which had already been slimmed down under Gabbard. The ODNI, which acts as a policymaker and coordinator for the 18 agencies that make up the US intelligence community, has been a target of some on the MAGA right who believe it is made up of a “deep state” determined to undermine the president.Trump installed Pulte in the acting role with a mandate to “execute the immediate and needed downsizing of the office,” the president wrote in a Truth Social post . “I have named William Pulte to be Acting Director of National Intelligence, who will take over on June 19th, and have asked him to execute the immediate and needed downsizing of the office, reverting staff to their home agencies,” Trump wrote.
Pulte’s aggressive start
Pulte, who has no national security experience and previously did not have a security clearance , showed up at ODNI a day early after asking for a list of every employee in the office so he could assess whether to fire them, according to two sources familiar with the matter . The move caught staff off-guard, including outgoing director Tulsi Gabbard, who was given only a brief heads-up on the visit.In his only other briefing with ODNI before taking over, Pulte asked staff if he could bring the President’s Daily Briefing, a highly classified set of intelligence on key national security matters, to his house, raising alarm bells among intelligence officials, according to one source . That source also said Pulte asked about his security clearance level and whether he had access to a government plane.
Reaction from Congress
Top Democrats on the Senate and House Intelligence Committees have warned that mass cuts could risk US national security. In a letter sent to Pulte on Monday, Sen Mark Warner (D-Va. ) and Rep Jim Himes (D-Conn. ) wrote: “We are concerned by reports that you intend to fire or place on leave hundreds of Office of the Director of National Intelligence officers as soon as this week”.”While there is room to consider responsible reductions to ODNI’s workforce, any large cuts would follow on a substantial downsizing that has already occurred in 2025 and risk jeopardizing the mission of an organization explicitly created after 9/11 to prevent any future such terrorist attack,” the lawmakers wrote.”Given your lack of experience within the Intelligence Community, it is difficult to imagine that in such a short amount of time you have already developed fully informed views as to how to shrink ODNI without incurring risks to national security,” they added . “Making significant structural changes to ODNI, to include a reduction in force, is not an appropriate course of action for anyone in an acting capacity, let alone without consultation with Congress, and you should refrain from doing so”.However, according to two sources familiar with closed-door discussions with Pulte on Capitol Hill, some of those concerns have been eased . “Senators were surprised at the Pulte pick for sure,” said one Republican Senate staffer. “But since Trump announced him, Pulte put together a detailed strategic plan to implement Trump’s reform agenda at DNI, he is working closely with (the Senate Intelligence Committee), and he’s executing great. Republican Senators have been impressed. Don’t be surprised if he stays in for awhile”.
What’s next for Pulte
Sources had previously told CNN that Pulte was looking at cutting hundreds of jobs at ODNI . All offices were asked to provide a list ranking their personnel by Monday, according to two sources familiar with the matter . Pulte has said on X that he spent time with the National Counterterrorism Center team, calling them “true professionals and American patriots.” The NCTC was not impacted by the cuts.Trump has said Pulte will remain director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency while serving as acting DNI, a move that left many intelligence professionals questioning the arrangement . Trump has also said he wants Pulte to investigate claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election.A source close to Pulte previously told CNN: “This isn’t something to overthink — President Trump wanted someone in that position who is a true loyalist, who will do what he wants him to do. He has that in Bill”. Go to Source
