Bill Pulte, Trump's Acting DNI, Moves to Cut Hundreds of Intelligence Jobs

President Donald Trump’s loyalist Bill Pulte arrived at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) a day early and requested a list of every employee, signaling an intent to fire hundreds of staff. Sources said Pulte, who has no intelligence background and lacked a top‑secret clearance before his appointment, also asked whether he could take the President’s Daily Brief home, sought a government plane, and requested a protective detail.

Democratic Representative Jim Himes warned that “if the reports of Bill Pulte’s arrival at ODNI are true, they demonstrate why he should never spend a minute as Director of National Intelligence, a role he is legally not qualified to perform.” Senate Intelligence Committee leaders Mark Warner and John Thune called the appointment a “weaponized DNI” and urged professional staffing. Critics argue Pulte could use the position to pursue political retribution, citing his prior work at the Federal Housing Finance Agency targeting Trump’s perceived enemies.

The ODNI oversees the CIA, NSA and 18 other agencies. Trump postponed the confirmation hearing of permanent nominee Jay Clayton, linking the acting DNI’s tenure to the renewal of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. The move has raised bipartisan concerns about the security of classified information and the politicization of the nation’s top intelligence office.