Intelligence Community Reduction
Trump urges acting DNI Bill Pulte to fire intelligence officials and shrink the workforce.
Anonymous
President Donald Trump told The Wall Street Journal that his new acting director of national intelligence, Bill Pulte, should start firing intelligence officials and shrink the spy community. Trump said, "I'd like to see it smaller. I think there are a lot of people in there that shouldn't be there."
The interview came just days after Trump named Pulte — who currently runs the Federal Housing Finance Agency and has no intelligence background — as acting DNI on June 2. The move has already rattled both parties in the Senate and put a key surveillance law at risk.
Pulte Tapped With No Intelligence Experience
Tulsi Gabbard announced her resignation as DNI in May 2026, effective June 30, citing her husband's health, according to The Associated Press. Trump then chose Pulte to step in. Pulte is a private equity businessman and grandson of the founder of PulteGroup. He has never worked in intelligence or national security.
Federal law requires the DNI to have "extensive national security experience," according to Just Security. Trump said on June 4 that Pulte would not become a permanent nominee. "It's an acting position... he's not going to be permanent," Trump told reporters at the Oval Office, per CBS News. Under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, acting officials can serve up to 210 days without Senate confirmation.
Senate Republicans Break Ranks Over the Appointment
The backlash was swift and bipartisan. Senator Mitch McConnell warned that any nominee without statutory national security experience would not get his vote, according to The Guardian. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Pulte faces a "lengthy road" and warned, "We don't need a weaponized" DNI.
On June 5, seven Republican senators joined Democrats to block a procedural vote on Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Section 702 gives the government power to collect communications of foreign targets without a warrant. The vote failed 47 to 52, according to Inkl. The law expires on June 12.
Trump Wants Pulte to Dismantle the Spy Community
In his Wall Street Journal interview, Trump pointed to Education Secretary Linda McMahon as a model for Pulte to follow. McMahon has led mass firings at the Department of Education. Trump suggested the ODNI — the office that coordinates all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies — could even be "terminated" altogether.
Trump said Pulte's acting status makes him "less shackled" and better able to do the "hard work" of cutting staff before a permanent successor takes over. This follows $700 million in yearly budget cuts and a 40% workforce reduction already set in motion under Gabbard, per The Associated Press.
Critics Warn of Espionage Gaps and Political Targeting
National security experts warn the FISA expiration could cause a "going dark" moment for U.S. counterterrorism operations. The National Intelligence Program budget stands at $81.9 billion for fiscal year 2026, according to ODNI. Experts say disruption at this scale carries serious risk.
Critics also point to Pulte's record at the FHFA, where he referred political figures — including Senator Adam Schiff and New York Attorney General Letitia James — for criminal investigation. Mother Jones noted that while Pulte has no CIA experience, he is well-practiced at using government data to target Trump's political rivals.
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