Bill Pulte moved swiftly after taking over the intelligence directorate, firing and reassigning more than 50 staff members in his first days on the job. The purge marks an aggressive start for the acting director of national intelligence, who assumed the role after Tulsi Gabbard departed the position in late May.
According to reporting from multiple outlets, the dismissals included both career civil servants and political appointees tied to Gabbard's tenure. The National Terrorism Center faced particularly deep cuts, though specific numbers remain unclear. CBS News reported that six individuals were fired outright while 45 others were reassigned back to their home agencies.
Pulte, who also oversees the federal housing finance agency, had signaled the firings were coming. CNN reported on the day he took office that he was considering dismissing hundreds of workers. The pace of action drew immediate scrutiny from Capitol Hill.
Democratic leaders on the House and Senate intelligence committees sent Pulte a letter expressing alarm over the changes. Representative James Himes and Senator Mark Warner warned that large-scale cuts could undermine the DNI's core mission of preventing terrorist attacks. They also criticized Pulte for moving without consulting Congress.
The letter pointed to staffing reductions already underway in 2025, suggesting the agency was already shrinking before Pulte arrived. The Democrats argued that further cuts would jeopardize an organization created specifically after 9/11 to detect and prevent future attacks.
Republican skepticism also emerged. Senator Thom Tillis, who is retiring, told reporters that Pulte should focus only on eliminating positions that could be automated or that were unnecessary from the start. Tillis was blunt in his assessment, calling Pulte an incompetent sycophant and questioning whether his management style would damage the agency's effectiveness.
Gabbard had previously advocated for workforce reductions when she held the director role. She announced a 40% reduction in staff last August, citing bloat and inefficiency. Gabbard claimed the intelligence community had become rife with abuse of power and unauthorized leaks of classified information, allegations she framed as justification for the cuts.
The DNI's office has not responded to requests for comment about the recent firings or Pulte's plans for the agency going forward.
Author James Rodriguez: "Pulte's ruthless first week suggests he's here to upend the intelligence bureaucracy, but Republican doubts about his competence may signal trouble ahead."
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