Acting DNI touts 'approximately 30% Staff Reduction from Weeks Ago' as Senate poised to confirm Trump nominee

Acting Director of National Intelligence William Pulte has announced a fifth wave of office downsizing."Good News! In addition to the Historic DECLASSIFICATIONS (Transparency!) by the President, we are, this morning, Executing a 5th and Near Final Round of TERMINATIONS, an approximately 30% Staff Reduction from Weeks Ago," he wrote in a Tuesday post on X."The Intelligence Community must protect the American people, NOT the political whims of the bloated and corrupt elite class," he added.ACTING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ANNOUNCES 4TH WAVE OF LAYOFFSActing Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte attends a kick-off celebration for the "Great American State Fair" on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., June 24, 2026.(Jemal COUNTESS / AFP via Getty Images)Pulte on Sunday had announced the completion of a fourth batch of layoffs from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)."Since becoming Acting Director of National Intelligence, our team has been smartly, and carefully, reducing the size of ODNI, re-focusing ODNI on national security, the law, and the statute.
As of this evening, we just finished a 4th round of thoughtful, measured layoffs.Thank you!" he declared in a Sunday night post on X.In a July 10 post, he had stated, "U.S.
National Intelligence is operating more efficiently and effectively than ever before, and today, we started a third round of reducing redundant, or non-critical, personnel.DNI’s future is exceptionally bright, and will be focused on following the law and the statute."Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, took on the role of acting DNI last month as Tulsi Gabbard, who had been serving as DNI, departed the role due to her husband's cancer battle.TRUMP'S DNI PICK JAY CLAYTON LOCKS HORNS WITH DEMOCRATIC SENATOR IN FIERY CONFIRMATION HEARING CLASHPrior to when Pulte took the helm at ODNI last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that during an interview, President Donald Trump said he ha...