President Donald Trump underscored the need to downsize the Office of the Director of National Intelligence as he contends with Democratic and Republican opposition to his decision to tap Bill Pulte as his acting spy chief.
In a lengthy social media post, Trump reiterated that Pulte would be in the post temporarily, replacing Tulsi Gabbard, who is departing this month, citing her husband’s diagnosis with an aggressive form of cancer.
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However, during his short tenure, Pulte, who has come under scrutiny for his lack of national security experience, will be responsible for reforming ODNI, which conservatives have criticized as redundant.
“I have named William Pulte to be Acting Director of National Intelligence, who will take over on June 19th, and have asked him to execute the immediate and needed downsizing of the office, reverting staff to their home agencies,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday. “At the same time, I am looking for a permanent ODNI Nominee with experience in National Security.”
ODNI, created after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, oversees 17 other intelligence-related federal agencies, but 25 years later, critics argue it replicates much of those agencies’ work.
Trump told the Wall Street Journal last week that he had asked Pulte, his Federal Housing Finance Agency director and chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to “start the process” of firing ODNI employees.
“I’d like to see it smaller,” the president told the outlet. “I think there are a lot of people in there that shouldn’t be there.”
During her tenure, Gabbard has reduced ODNI’s workforce of 1,800 people by 30%, thanks in part to Department of Government Efficiency reductions.
Trump told other reporters last week he was interviewing five potential DNI appointees, but declined to provide specifics regarding who. Republicans and Democrats have expressed concerns that Pulte would politicize the agency.
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“Five different people, all very good, all people that you know very well, all people that do that kind of thing, and they’re very respected people,” he said.
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), CIA Deputy Director Michael Ellis, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford (R-AR), vice presidential national security adviser Cliff Sims, and former Republican Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz are speculated to be on the short list.
