President Donald Trump is pushing his incoming acting director of national intelligence, Bill Pulte, to start firing employees across the U.S. intelligence community as part of a major downsizing effort.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Friday, June 5, Trump said he has privately instructed Pulte to begin the process of shrinking the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees 18 federal intelligence agencies and units.
Why Trump Wants Bill Pulte to Lead the Restructuring
Trump described the office as “unnecessary and/or too big” and said there are “a lot of people in there that shouldn’t be there,” pointing to holdovers from the Biden and Obama administrations.
“I’d like to see it smaller,” Trump told the Journal. When asked if he was directing Pulte to fire people, the president said he wanted him to “start the process.” He added that his eventual permanent nominee for the role should carry on the work.
The move builds on earlier staff reductions already underway. Tulsi Gabbard, the current director of national intelligence, had pushed for a roughly 40% cut in headcount before her planned departure on June 30.
Pulte, who currently serves as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, will step in as acting DNI. He has no prior experience in national intelligence.
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Trump sees Pulte’s temporary status as an advantage. “You’re less shackled. It sort of gives you more power, you know, for a somewhat limited period of time,” he said.
The president hopes Pulte can make tough changes now so that a future confirmed director won’t have to take all the heat.
“Frankly, it might be good for him to shake it up before people come,” Trump explained. “Because, if he reduced the size, in conjunction with me … and in conjunction with possibly the person coming in … he can do a lot of the hard work and we wouldn’t have to saddle somebody that goes in.”
The strategy is the acting role to handle politically sensitive cuts and restructuring while Trump advances his long-standing goal of making government more efficient.
Concerns Increase Over Pulte’s Lack of Intelligence Experience
Critics, however, worry it could lead to the politicization of intelligence agencies.
Already, Pulte’s selection has drawn bipartisan concern on Capitol Hill. Democrats and some Republicans are questioning whether someone without an intelligence background is qualified to lead such a sensitive operation.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, warned that Pulte would face “a lengthy road ahead of him” if nominated for the permanent job. “We don’t need a weaponized national intelligence director,” Thune told reporters.
Trump has long complained about what he calls a “deep state” inside federal agencies, particularly the intelligence community.
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He has accused previous administrations of leaving behind officials more loyal to past policies than to the elected president.
Trump could be trying to reshape the agencies that gather and analyze information for national security decisions by targeting what he sees as excess staff and potential opponents.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after the 9/11 attacks to improve coordination among spy agencies.
Over the years, it has grown into a large bureaucracy with major influence over everything from counterterrorism to foreign threats.
Supporters Say Cuts Will Reduce Waste and Improve Accountability
Trump and his allies argue that growth has come with duplication, mission creep, and too many officials insulated from accountability.
The allies and supporters of the plan say trimming the workforce will reduce waste and refocus agencies on their core missions rather than internal politics.
They point to Trump’s efforts to reduce federal spending and bureaucracy as consistent with promises he made to voters.
Opponents say abrupt firings risk damage to institutional knowledge and morale at a time when the U.S. faces threats from China, Russia, Iran, and terrorist groups.
They also fear the moves could be used to retaliate against career officials who worked on past investigations involving Trump.
