Trump says he wants Pulte to further slash staffing at national intelligence office

June 6, 2026 - 06:17

President Donald Trump said Friday that he wants Bill Pulte, his newly appointed acting director of national intelligence, to continue slashing staff at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The agency has already seen major reductions during Trump's second term. Speaking to reporters, Trump praised Pulte as a strong leader and said the cuts are necessary to streamline operations and eliminate waste. "We have a lot of people over there who are not needed," Trump said. "Bill is going to go in and do a great job. He will cut it down further." The ODNI was created after the September 11 attacks to coordinate intelligence from various agencies, but Trump has long criticized it as bloated and unnecessary. During his first term, he pushed for reforms, and his second term has seen even deeper cuts. Critics argue that reducing the office could harm national security by weakening oversight and coordination. Supporters say it will make the intelligence community more efficient. Pulte, a former Treasury official, has not yet commented on the plan. The exact number of additional job cuts remains unclear, but administration officials say the goal is to shrink the office to its smallest size since its founding.