Acting US Director of National Intelligence William Pulte announced a significant drop in staffing at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). In a statement on X, Pulte said, "This morning we are implementing the fifth and near-final round of layoffs, which means a roughly 30 percent staff reduction compared to weeks ago."
Pulte said, "The Intelligence Community must protect the American people, not serve the political whims of a bloated and corrupt elite." The acting director had previously announced on Sunday night that the fourth wave of layoffs had been completed.
Pulte, who assumed the role of Acting Director of National Intelligence after Tulsi Gabbard stepped down as DNI last month due to her spouse's cancer battle, said in a July 10 post, "US National Intelligence is working more efficiently and effectively than ever, and today we started the third round of reducing unnecessary or noncritical staff."
Pulte, who is Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, took on this role after President Donald Trump told The Wall Street Journal that he found ODNI "unnecessary and/or too large" and thought "there are a lot of people who shouldn't be there."
Senate Prepares to Vote on New Director
As the downsizing process continues at ODNI, the Senate is expected to hold a final confirmation vote on Tuesday evening on the appointment of Jay Clayton — President Trump's DNI nominee and the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
Senator Tom Cotton said in a Senate floor speech last month that he had spoken with the Acting Director of National Intelligence and that the acting director agreed that "we need to return ODNI to its original size, scope and mission." Cotton added that approximately 45 to 50 career intelligence officers had returned to their home agencies.
