Trump urges new spy chief Pulte to gut US intelligence community

Lead

President Donald Trump has urged his acting intelligence chief, Bill Pulte, to cut staff and shrink the US intelligence community, deepening a controversy over the appointment of a businessman with no previous experience in intelligence work.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he had asked Pulte to carry out the "immediate and needed downsizing of the office, reverting staff to their home agencies," as reported by Al Jazeera. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on June 5, Trump said of the intelligence office's workforce, "If he cut, I wouldn't mind that," and described the number of employees as "way too high for way too long," according to the South China Morning Post and The Hindu.

Pulte, who also heads the Federal Housing Finance Agency, was named acting director of national intelligence after Tulsi Gabbard left the post. His appointment has drawn condemnation from Democratic lawmakers who describe him as a Trump loyalist with no qualifications for the role, and The Guardian reported that staff members have already been dismissed from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Coverage comparison

Al Jazeera's account centered on Trump's written directive and the backlash it generated, quoting Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, calling Pulte "grossly unqualified." The Guardian's coverage emphasized the political maneuvering around the appointment, including the cancellation of a Senate confirmation hearing for Jay Clayton, Trump's intended permanent nominee, and the bipartisan criticism Pulte faced. South China Morning Post and The Hindu focused their reports on Trump's June 5 comments aboard Air Force One. The Hindu added further detail, reporting that Trump had told The Wall Street Journal that a limited tenure would give Pulte more power, and that Trump had suggested Pulte investigate "rigged elections."

The Guardian's reporting also described early firings at the ODNI, noting that CNN first reported the dismissals, that ABC News reported expected cuts at the National Terrorism Center, and that CBS reported more than 50 staff members had been let go, with six fired and 45 sent back to their home agencies.

Key claims

• Trump directed Pulte to cut staff at the ODNI, saying he wanted the "immediate and needed downsizing of the office" — as reported by Al Jazeera.
• Trump told reporters on June 5 that he would not mind if Pulte cut employees, calling the office's staffing levels "way too high for way too long" — South China Morning Post and The Hindu.
• Trump told The Wall Street Journal that he wanted the intelligence agencies to be smaller, saying "there are a lot of people in there that shouldn't be there" — South China Morning Post; The Hindu also reported Trump's comment that a limited tenure would give Pulte "more power."
• Pulte has no previous intelligence experience — Al Jazeera, The Guardian, South China Morning Post, and The Hindu; Al Jazeera also reported that he lacks a military background.
• Democrats have condemned the appointment, calling Pulte a loyalist and pointing to his history of using government records against Trump's opponents — South China Morning Post, The Hindu, Al Jazeera, and The Guardian.
• The appointment has sparked bipartisan pushback — Al Jazeera and The Guardian; The Guardian quoted Republican Senator Thom Tillis calling Pulte "an incompetent sycophant."
• Staff members have been fired from the ODNI, according to The Guardian, which cited reports from CNN, ABC, and CBS.
• The Guardian reported that Pulte referred several Democratic officials for mortgage-fraud prosecution, and that the Government Accountability Office had opened an investigation into whether he improperly accessed the financial information of Trump's opponents.

Perspectives

President Trump has defended the push to downsize the ODNI, saying the office's staff numbers were too high and that employees should be reverted to their home agencies. He has described Pulte's appointment as temporary and said he is looking for a permanent director with national security experience, while also telling The Wall Street Journal that the temporary nature of the role could give Pulte more freedom to act. Trump has additionally suggested that Pulte investigate "rigged elections," repeating claims about the 2021 election that The Hindu described as unfounded.

Democratic lawmakers have voiced alarm about Pulte's qualifications and independence. Senator Warner called him "grossly unqualified," and Warner and Representative Jim Himes, the top Democrats on the Senate and House intelligence committees, wrote to Pulte warning that large cuts without congressional consultation could jeopardize the mission of an agency created after the September 11 attacks. Democrats have also refused to renew a controversial surveillance measure until a permanent intelligence director is selected, Al Jazeera reported.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis has expressed his own doubts. While saying Pulte should conduct an analysis of the agency and eliminate only positions that could be automated or that should not have existed, Tillis told reporters he considered Pulte "an incompetent sycophant and not the right person to lead DNI." Tillis is retiring at the end of his term.