Trump Orders Acting DNI Bill Pulte To Dismiss Employees Across US Intelligence Community

US President Donald Trump said Friday he wants incoming acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte to begin dismissing employees across the US intelligence community, arguing the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) is “unnecessary and or too big.”

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump said, “I’d like to see it smaller. I think there are a lot of people in there that shouldn’t be there,” and he told reporters he wants Pulte to “start the process.”

ABC News

Trump said Pulte’s temporary status gives him greater flexibility to carry out changes within the intelligence apparatus, adding, “You’re less shackled,” and “It sort of gives you more power, you know, for a somewhat limited period of time.”

The appointment, which Trump made earlier this week, does not require Senate confirmation and can last for up to 210 days under federal law, according to Anadolu Ajansı.

Pulte, who currently heads the Federal Housing Finance Agency, was selected by Trump to serve as acting intelligence chief and oversee the United States’ 18 intelligence agencies, as Firstpost reported.

The staffing push landed as bipartisan concern over Pulte’s appointment spilled into the US Senate, where seven Republican senators joined Democrats early on Friday morning to block the extension of a powerful government surveillance programme.

The Guardian reported that the renewal had been in question amid bipartisan concern over Trump’s appointment of Bill Pulte, and it said the program permits US intelligence agencies to collect communications of foreign targets operating outside the country without a warrant.

ABC7 New York

After the 47-52 vote, Senate majority leader John Thune said the chamber “will take another run at it” next week, while Democrats’ opposition to the Fisa extension pathway was described as “a terribly irresponsible position.”

The Guardian also quoted Thune warning that Pulte would face “a lengthy road ahead of him” if nominated permanently, and it said Mark Warner told NPR that Pulte was only selected because he was “100% loyal to doing anything and everything President Trump demands.”

In the same reporting, Warner said appointing a person with no intelligence, law enforcement or congressional experience would amount to “almost unilaterally disarming” against US adversaries including Russia, China and Iran.

Trump also suggested Pulte could examine issues related to election integrity, echoing his long-standing claims about election irregularities following his 2020 defeat, even though the intelligence chief’s office was described as having no formal mandate to investigate elections.

Firstpost reported that Trump indicated Pulte could examine election integrity issues and that the move followed the departure of Tulsi Gabbard, who stepped down from the post to care for her husband.

The Guardian added that on Thursday Trump escalated concerns over what Pulte will do as acting intelligence director by suggesting he would investigate unfounded allegation of election cheating, saying, “He’s a very smart guy,” and “you may find out some things about the rigged elections, etc, etc.”

WION described Pulte as a 38-year-old billionaire heir and said he was tapped to serve as acting director of national intelligence while retaining existing government roles at the Federal Housing Finance Agency, overseeing mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

WION also said critics questioned his lack of experience in intelligence or national security, while supporters argued his business background and loyalty to Trump made him suitable for the administration.