Acting DNI Bill Pulte dismisses six political appointees and reassigns dozens of career staff
Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte has removed six political appointees and sent 45 career officials back to their home agencies, marking the first major step in his mandate to downsize the office.
Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte has terminated six political appointees installed by former director Tulsi Gabbard and reassigned 45 career officials, who were on joint-duty assignments, back to their originating agencies, four sources familiar with the moves said. The National Counterterrorism Center, a component of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), was not affected by the personnel changes, one source added.
Pulte posted on X that he had met with the National Counterterrorism Center team, praising their work under President Trump’s leadership. Another source indicated that up to two dozen additional dismissals could occur in the coming weeks, though the total is unlikely to exceed that number.
The reductions are part of Pulte’s directive from President Trump to “execute the immediate and needed downsizing of the office,” a mandate announced on the president’s social-media platform. While Pulte lacks prior national-security experience, Republican Senate staffers reported that he has presented a detailed strategic plan and is cooperating with the Senate Intelligence Committee, earning a positive response from some GOP senators.
Democratic members of the Senate and House Intelligence Committees have expressed concern that large-scale cuts could jeopardize national-security functions. In a letter, Senator Mark Warner and Representative Jim Himes warned that firing or placing on leave hundreds of ODNI officers could undermine the agency’s mission, which was created after 9/11 to improve inter-agency coordination.
The ODNI, which coordinates the 18 agencies of the U.S. intelligence community and produces the President’s Daily Brief, has faced bipartisan criticism for bureaucratic inefficiency. Previous efforts under Gabbard aimed to reduce the workforce by 40 percent, leaving many office spaces vacant. Sources described current staff morale as low, comparing the environment to the stress experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.