President Donald Trump is pressing acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte to begin reshaping the U.S. intelligence bureaucracy, saying the Office of the Director of National Intelligence should become smaller and that some officials inside the system should no longer remain in their posts.
The move has opened a new front in Trump’s long-running battle with the intelligence community, while raising questions in Washington about political loyalty, national security experience and how far the administration intends to go in restructuring federal agencies.
Pulte, who previously served as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, was named acting director of national intelligence after Tulsi Gabbard resigned. He is expected to serve in the role temporarily while the White House considers a permanent nominee.
The acting DNI oversees coordination across the U.S. intelligence community, including agencies such as the CIA, National Security Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency and intelligence elements connected to the FBI. The office also plays a major role in budget coordination, classification issues and national security briefings.
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Trump has made clear that he wants Pulte to begin reducing the size of the intelligence apparatus.
“I’d like to see it smaller,” Trump said, according to reporting on his comments. “I think there are a lot of people in there that shouldn’t be there.”
The president also suggested that Pulte’s acting status could give him room to begin changes quickly before a permanent replacement is nominated and confirmed. That has alarmed critics who worry that a temporary official with limited intelligence experience could oversee major personnel decisions inside one of the government’s most sensitive areas.
Supporters of the move argue that the intelligence community has grown too large, too expensive and too insulated from accountability. Trump and his allies have long accused parts of the federal bureaucracy of resisting his agenda, leaking information and protecting what they describe as “deep state” influence.
Critics see the situation differently. They warn that broad personnel reviews or politically driven dismissals could damage institutional expertise, weaken national security operations and create a chilling effect inside agencies that are supposed to provide objective intelligence to policymakers.
The controversy is especially sensitive because Trump has repeatedly clashed with U.S. intelligence agencies since his first term. He has accused officials of politicizing investigations, mishandling classified information and targeting his allies. Intelligence officials and former officials have pushed back, arguing that the agencies are tasked with protecting the country, not serving any president’s personal political interests.
Pulte’s appointment has also raised questions because his background is not in intelligence, military affairs, counterterrorism or diplomacy. His professional experience has been centered on housing finance, real estate and government-backed mortgage institutions. Supporters say that management experience could help him cut costs and impose discipline. Opponents argue that the intelligence community requires specialized knowledge that cannot be replaced by general executive experience.
The timing adds another layer of importance. The administration is also navigating debate over surveillance authorities, including Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. That law allows intelligence agencies to collect communications involving foreign targets, though it has long drawn concern from civil liberties advocates because Americans’ communications can be swept up incidentally.
Some lawmakers from both parties have questioned whether Pulte is the right person to oversee sensitive intelligence functions while Congress debates surveillance powers. Democrats have expressed concern about political misuse, while some Republicans have called for a more traditional national security nominee.
Trump has also said he wants Pulte to review classified materials connected to past election claims. The president has continued to argue that more information should be released about the 2020 election and alleged fraud, despite courts, election officials and audits repeatedly rejecting claims of widespread fraud sufficient to change the outcome.
That request is likely to intensify concern among critics who fear that intelligence agencies could be used to revisit political grievances. Supporters argue that declassification can expose misconduct and restore trust if past decisions were hidden from public view.
The White House has not released a detailed plan for how many intelligence positions could be cut, which agencies would be affected, or whether specific officials are being targeted. It is also unclear whether any major dismissals have already begun under Pulte.
An ODNI spokesperson has said the office looks forward to working with Pulte and the administration on efficiency and cost-reduction efforts. Administration supporters have framed the effort as part of a broader push to streamline government.
But any attempt to remove large numbers of intelligence officials would likely face internal resistance, congressional scrutiny and possibly legal challenges. Career civil servants and intelligence professionals often have employment protections, and personnel changes involving national security roles can be procedurally complex.
The debate is about more than bureaucracy. It touches on the relationship between elected presidents and permanent national security institutions. Presidents have the right to set policy priorities and appoint senior officials. But intelligence agencies are expected to provide analysis that is independent of political pressure, even when that analysis is inconvenient.
Trump’s supporters argue that independence has too often become unaccountability. His critics argue that political loyalty tests could turn intelligence work into a tool of the president rather than the country.
Pulte now sits at the center of that conflict. His tenure may be temporary, but Trump’s instructions suggest he could still play a major role in reshaping the intelligence office before a permanent DNI is chosen.
For now, the key questions are whether the administration will pursue targeted management reforms or broad personnel purges, whether Congress will push back, and whether intelligence officials inside the system will view the changes as efficiency measures or political pressure.
What happens next could shape not only the future of ODNI, but also the broader balance between presidential control and intelligence independence.
Why It Matters
This matters because the director of national intelligence helps coordinate the agencies responsible for some of America’s most sensitive national security work. Any effort to shrink the office or remove personnel could affect intelligence operations, congressional oversight and public trust.
It also matters because Trump has long accused intelligence agencies of political bias. Supporters see Pulte’s role as a chance to reform the system, while critics warn that the administration could use personnel changes to punish officials viewed as insufficiently loyal.
What Comes Next
The White House still has to decide whether Pulte will remain only an acting official or whether another nominee will be sent to the Senate for confirmation.
Congress is likely to scrutinize any major restructuring, especially if cuts affect surveillance oversight, classification decisions or personnel connected to politically sensitive investigations. Watch for hearings, whistleblower claims and possible legal challenges if large-scale dismissals begin.
Donald Trump has ordered his incoming director of national intelligence, who oversees the 18 federal intelligence agencies including the CIA, to begin a mass purge of intelligence officials who are holdovers from the Obama and Biden administrations https://t.co/jHX14yaZgo 🔗 pic.twitter.com/lmjf0urb7I
— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) June 5, 2026
