WASHINGTON — Acting U.S. Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte is seeking to dismiss hundreds of employees at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), according to reports published in June, as the Trump administration pursues a broader effort to reduce the size of the federal intelligence bureaucracy. Sources familiar with the matter told CNN that Pulte requested a list of all ODNI employees and began assessing potential personnel reductions shortly before formally assuming the role.
Pulte, who previously served as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, was appointed acting intelligence chief by President Donald Trump earlier this month following the departure of former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. The ODNI oversees and coordinates the work of 18 U.S. intelligence organizations, including the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency.
According to CNN, cited by Reuters and other media outlets, Pulte arrived at ODNI headquarters a day before taking office and met with lawyers and staff members while reviewing workforce information. The ODNI did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the reported plans.
The proposed reductions would follow earlier workforce cuts implemented under Gabbard. Reuters reported this month that ODNI employees had been told to expect extensive staffing reductions after Trump publicly expressed a desire to shrink the agency. Gabbard had already reduced the office's workforce significantly during her tenure, according to reports.
The reports prompted criticism from congressional Democrats. Representative Jim Himes, the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that if the reports were accurate, they demonstrated why Pulte “should never spend a minute as Director of National Intelligence.” Himes added that the committee would closely scrutinize any personnel decisions made during Pulte’s tenure.
Questions about leadership at the intelligence agency have persisted since Trump nominated Jay Clayton to serve as permanent director but later postponed Clayton’s Senate confirmation process. The delay left Pulte in the acting role while lawmakers continued debating intelligence oversight and surveillance authorities.
In the latest developments, multiple media outlets reported this week that several political appointees and dozens of career officials had already been removed from ODNI positions or returned to their home agencies. Neither Pulte nor the ODNI publicly detailed the scope of any future personnel actions, and details regarding the reported plan to dismiss hundreds of staff remain unclear.
