Acting intelligence chief claims 30% staff cuts before Senate confirmation
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Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte said he reduced his agency's workforce by about a third, but officials and Congress question the accuracy of the claim.
Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte announced on Tuesday that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence had shed roughly 30% of its staff since he assumed the role in June, hours before the Senate is expected to confirm his successor, Jay Clayton. Pulte posted the update on the social platform X, framing the reductions as a response to what he described as the need for the intelligence community to protect the American people.
Current and former officials, however, said few employees have actually been dismissed in recent weeks, casting doubt on the numbers Pulte cited. Members of Congress also expressed uncertainty about the extent of the cuts, noting a lack of corroborating evidence.
"Good News! In addition to the Historic DECLASSIFICATIONS (Transparency!) by the President, we are, this morning, Executing a 5th and Near Final Round of TERMINATIONS, an approximately 30% Staff Reduction from Weeks Ago," Pulte wrote in the post.
The discrepancy between Pulte’s statements and the observations of other officials highlights ongoing questions about personnel changes within the intelligence community.