Acting U.S. Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte said on Friday that the office has begun a third round of staff reductions, describing the action as the elimination of redundant or non-critical personnel. Pulte framed the reductions as part of an effort to make U.S. National Intelligence operate "more efficiently and effectively than ever before," according to a statement posted on X.
The announcement did not include specific figures for the number of positions affected or the total headcount to be reduced. Officials provided no additional breakdown of which offices or functions would see cuts, leaving the scale of the action unclear.
The staff reductions follow recent public comments by President Donald Trump urging the interim director to shrink the agency’s ranks. Since early last year the Trump administration has pursued changes across federal agencies, replacing officials with administration loyalists and moving to reduce what it characterizes as wasteful spending and fraud. Critics and political analysts have warned that some of those efforts have resulted in the removal of roles that had been considered vital within government organizations.
Pulte, a political ally of President Trump, was chosen to serve temporarily as the acting head of the U.S. intelligence community despite having no prior experience in national security. His selection prompted political backlash, including concern among some Republicans who feared he might use the office to "weaponize" intelligence against perceived political opponents of the president.
In recent weeks, managers in the office of the director advised staff to prepare for extensive cuts in the months ahead, following the president’s public remarks urging reductions in personnel. How many staffers would be affected and which specific programs or agencies might lose capacity were not detailed in Pulte’s announcement.
Separately, the confirmation process for a permanent director is already proceeding. Jay Clayton, nominated to lead the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies, has a nomination hearing scheduled for July 15. The previous Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, departed the post on June 19.
Data point: The acting director characterized the cuts as targeting redundant or non-critical roles, but did not specify numbers or offices affected.