Acting DNI Pulte Purges ODNI Staff in Deep State Shakeup.

thenationalpulse.com

Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte has initiated sweeping personnel changes at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

PULSE POINTS

❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Bill Pulte has removed 51 staff members from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) since taking office, including six terminations and 45 employees returned to their home agencies. 📰 DETAIL: The cuts, which Pulte reportedly described as sufficient “for now,” follow a broader downsizing effort initiated under former DNI Tulsi Gabbard that reduced the agency’s workforce from about 2,000 employees toward a target of 1,300. President Donald J. Trump had urged Pulte to carry out an immediate reduction in staffing, arguing the agency had become overly bureaucratic. Supporters of the cuts, including Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), contend the ODNI has expanded beyond its original mission and should return personnel to other intelligence agencies. The restructuring coincides with a standoff in Congress over the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which expired earlier this month after Democrats refused to support an extension. Republicans warn the lapse could weaken national security, but President Trump is also pushing to link its extension to the implementation of election integrity safeguards included in the proposed SAVE America Act. 💬 KEY QUOTE: “Pulte being willing to rock the boat and send a bunch of people back to their agencies and gut the bureaucracy is a feature, not a bug for Republicans,” said a Republican Senate staffer. 🎯 IMPACT: The personnel changes are part of a broader effort to streamline the ODNI, which has faced bipartisan criticism for its bureaucratic structure.