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Trump Wants Pulte To Make Intelligence Agency ‘Smaller’ With Mass Firings bundle.app/en/finance/trump-…
President Donald Trump said he wants Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte to begin slashing staff at the agency, he told The Wall Street Journal Friday, as his appointment of Pulte, a controversial figure in the Trump administration, has been widely criticized.
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President Donald Trump has requested that newly appointed Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte begin slashing staff, telling The Wall Street Journal that the agency has been “way too high for way too long”. Pulte, the former head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, was appointed following the sudden resignation of Tulsi Gabbard. Trump plans to use Pulte’s temporary status to carry out sweeping personnel cuts targeting career officials. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Key Details of the Staffing CutsTargeting Prior Administrations: Trump specifically noted that the downsized agency contains personnel who “shouldn’t be there”, referencing intelligence community officials who served under Democratic administrations. [4]
Pre-empting a Permanent Nominee: Trump aims for Pulte to handle the “hard work” of downsizing so a permanent nominee will not be saddled with the political fallout of mass firings. [4]
Continuation of Previous Cuts: The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) had already faced a 40% workforce reduction and a $700 million annual budget cut under Gabbard. [6]Widespread Political Backlash [1]
Lack of Intelligence Experience: Critics and opposition lawmakers have highlighted Pulte’s complete lack of national security or intelligence expertise. [4]
Surveillance Program Snarled: On Capitol Hill, the appointment has disrupted the renewal of a critical national security surveillance program. [5]
Erosion of Trust: Key Congressional Democrats stated they do not trust Pulte to oversee the 18 intelligence agencies or help manage delicate surveillance operations. [5]Short-Term Nature of the Role
Trump clarified to reporters that Pulte will not be formally nominated for the permanent position. Pulte will remain in the acting role only until a permanent successor is confirmed. Trump noted that the administration is actively interviewing five potential candidates to fill the role long-term. [4, 5][1] forbes.com
[2] facebook.com
[3] spectrumlocalnews.com
[4] yahoo.com
[5] krcgtv.com
[6] facebook.com
–— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) Jun 6, 2026
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