Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte has fired six political appointees appointed by former Director Tulsi Gabbard and removed dozens of career intelligence officials from their roles, according to four sources familiar with the move.Sources told CNN that 45 career officers were on joint duty assignment to 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. The National Counterterrorism Center, a component of ODNI that was previously expected to be a prime target for Pulte, was not affected by the cuts, a source familiar with the situation said.“Today, I spent time with the National Counterterrorism Center team who, under the leadership of President Trump, are doing an incredible job protecting our country,” Pulte said on Tuesday evening. “The room was filled with true professionals and American patriots. It was a privilege to work with 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 were unlikely to be much higher than that. This source said Pulte is consulting with career intelligence officials on the cuts.The removal represents the first major step in Pulte’s mandate to make deep cuts to the spy office, which had already been reduced under Gabbard. ODNI, which acts as a policymaker and coordinator for the 18 agencies that make up the U.S. intelligence community, has been the target of some in MAGA, who believe it is composed of a “deep state” determined to undermine the President.Trump installed Pulte into the executive role with orders to “execute immediate and necessary reductions in the size of the office,” the president wrote in a Truth Social post. “I have nominated William Pulte to be Acting Director of National Intelligence, taking office on June 19, and have asked him to make immediate and necessary reductions in the size of the office, returning employees to their domestic agencies,” Trump wrote.
Pulte’s aggressive start
According to two sources familiar with the matter, Pulte, who has no national security experience and no prior security clearance, came to ODNI a day earlier after asking for a list of every employee in the office so he could assess whether to fire them. The move surprised staffers, including outgoing director Tulsi Gabbard, who was given only a brief briefing about the visit.According to one source, in his only other briefing with ODNI before taking office, Pulte asked staff if he could bring the President’s Daily Briefing, a highly classified set of intelligence on major national security matters, to his home, setting off alarm bells among intelligence officials. That source also said Pulte asked about his security clearance level and whether he had access to government aircraft.
Reaction from Congress
The top Democrats on the Senate and House intelligence committees have warned that massive cuts could threaten 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 furlough hundreds of officials in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence as soon as this week.”“While there is room to consider responsible reductions in ODNI’s workforce, any major reductions would result in a significant reduction already in 2025 and would jeopardize the mission of the organization explicitly created after 9/11 to prevent any such terrorist attacks in the future.”He said, “Given your lack of experience within the intelligence community, it is difficult to imagine that in such a short time you have already developed a fully informed idea of how to shrink ODNI without posing a risk to national security.” “Making significant structural changes to ODNI, including a reduction in force, is not an appropriate course of action in any executive capacity, let alone without consultation with Congress, and you should refrain from doing so.”However, some of those concerns have been mitigated, according to two sources familiar with the closed-door discussions with Pulte on Capitol Hill. A Republican Senate staffer said, “Senators were certainly surprised by Pulte’s selection.” “But ever since Trump announced him, Pulte created a detailed strategic plan to implement Trump’s reform agenda at the DNI, he’s been working closely with the (Senate Intelligence Committee), and he’s executing it very well. Republican senators have been impressed. Don’t be surprised if he stays for a while”.
What’s next for Pulte?
Sources previously told CNN that Pulte was considering cutting hundreds of jobs at ODNI. All offices were asked to provide a list containing the rankings of their personnel by Monday, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Pulte said on X that he spent time with the National Counterterrorism Center team and called them “true professionals and American patriots.” The cut did not affect NCTC.Trump has said Pulte will remain director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency while serving as acting DNI, a move that has caused many intelligence professionals to question 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: “It’s not a stretch – President Trump wanted someone in that position who is truly loyal, who will do what he wants them to do. That’s what he has in the bill.”