Pulte sought Tulsi Gabbard's early removal as intel czar
Tulsi Gabbard, the outgoing director of national intelligence, got an unexpected call Tuesday from her controversial successor, Bill Pulte: “Today is your last day,” he said.
Gabbard was surprised. She had announced she was leaving at month’s end, not Tuesday.
“I need to hear it from the president or the White House,” Gabbard told Pulte, two officials briefed on the discussion told Axios.
Why it matters: The call, unreported until now, was the latest flashpoint in the intelligence wars that erupted last week in D.C. after President Trump picked Pulte as Gabbard’s temporary replacement.
After the conversation with Pulte, Gabbard got ahold of Trump, who didn’t request her immediate resignation. “What day works best for you?” the president asked, according to one of the sources.
Gabbard said June 19, and Trump then posted a statement on his Truth Social account announcing her new exit date.