Trump wants Bill Pulte to fire big chunk of national intelligence office staff: WSJ
Trump said Bill Pulte should begin cutting staff at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which oversees 18 agencies and had about 1,800 employees.
- President Donald Trump urged incoming acting intelligence chief Bill Pulte to begin mass firings, revealing in a Friday interview that he explicitly ordered a sweeping personnel shake-up within the nation's intelligence apparatus.
- Trump described the DNI's office as "unnecessary and or too big," telling Pulte he believes many employees—specifically holdovers from the Biden and Obama administrations—should not remain.
- The president asserted that Pulte’s temporary "acting" status makes him "less shackled" to execute rapid cuts, explaining that an interim chief holds unique leverage to clear out personnel and do the "hard work" so a future permanent nominee isn't saddled with the burden.
- Pulte's sudden appointment earlier this week triggered widespread bipartisan alarm, with Democrats and key Senate Republicans heavily criticizing his complete lack of prior experience in intelligence, counterterrorism, or national security policy.
- Critics fear the administration is weaponizing the intelligence infrastructure, pointing directly to Pulte's aggressive history as Federal Housing Finance Agency chief, where he routinely used agency data to launch criminal fraud referrals against prominent Trump political rivals.
153 Articles
153 Articles
The New York Ledger
1010 WCSITrump moves to slash intelligence office ahead of permanent chief’s arrival
Trump names Tulsi Gabbard’s replacement President Donald Trump announced he plans to tap Bill Pulte, chair of Freddie Mac, as acting director of national intelligence following Tulsi Gabbard’s exit later in June. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! President Donald Trump said he wants soon-to-be acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte to begin shrinking the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) before a perm…
Trump Wants to Shrink National Intelligence Office and Purge Obama and Biden Holdovers
William Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI), during a news conference at the Federal Housing Finance Association (FHFA) headquarters in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. —Eric Lee—BloombergPresident Donald Trump has called on acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Bill Pulte to shrink the office that oversees U.S. intelligence agencies, suggesting…
President Trump’s New Intel Pick Has One Big Assignment
President Trump’s new acting intelligence chief has not even settled into the role yet, and the assignment is already clear. William J. Pulte is being sent into the Office of the Director of National Intelligence with a very Trump-style mandate: cut it down. The Associated Press reported Friday that President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that the intelligence office has grown far too large. “It’s way too big an office,” Trump said, …
Trump Drops Bombshell On Deep State - He Just Gave The Order
President Donald Trump says he wants acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte to begin shrinking the nation’s intelligence bureaucracy, removing holdovers from previous administrations and helping reshape some of Washington’s most powerful agencies before a permanent replacement is selected. Pulte’s appointment came after Tulsi Gabbard’s resignation and immediately drew attention because he can serve temporarily without Senate confirm…
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