Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte announced more DNI layoffs on Sunday, just ahead of his replacement’s confirmation vote in the Senate.
Pulte, a controversial figure known as President Donald Trump’s attack dog, had already ruffled feathers on both sides of the aisle with his first three rounds of layoffs. Despite this, he completed a fourth round on Sunday, though he said it was done “smartly” and “carefully.”
“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,” Pulte said in a post on X.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, created after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to improve intelligence sharing coordination across the government, was viewed as much too large and redundant by Trump when he came into office, with roughly 1,800 to 2,000 employees. Pulte’s predecessor, Tulsi Gabbard, cut 500 to 700 employees. The exact number of people cut by Pulte so far is unclear, but the number of employees at DNI is now likely well below half of what it was when Trump took office.
JAY CLAYTON INCHES CLOSER TO INTELLIGENCE CHIEF CONFIRMATION VOTE
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton, Pulte’s possible replacement, still faces a tough confirmation battle. His refusal at earlier confirmation hearings to explicitly say that former President Joe Biden won the 2020 election cost him any Democratic support and spooked some Republican centrists.
The Senate’s procedural vote is being held on Monday.