Donald Trump tells acting DNI Bill Pulte to declassify records

On July 1, 2026, President Donald Trump said he gave acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte permission to declassify “almost everything” while Pulte serves in the role temporarily. Trump made the remarks during a press gaggle before boarding a flight to North Dakota, telling reporters, “You can declassify whatever you want.” He added that the authority could include records tied to the 2020 election, a topic on which he has repeatedly claimed widespread fraud.

Pulte, who was appointed acting DNI last month, also continues to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency and has already begun cutting hundreds of intelligence‑community jobs. Trump indicated that his formal nominee, Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, is awaiting a Senate confirmation hearing expected within two weeks. The president’s directive follows earlier reports that a White House task force plans to release intelligence documents to bolster Trump’s election‑fraud narrative. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence and Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton did not immediately comment.

The statement underscores a rare presidential push for broad declassification of intelligence materials, raising questions about the impact on national security and the political narrative surrounding the 2020 election.