Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte has fired six political appointees put in place by former Director Tulsi Gabbard and removed dozens of career intelligence officials from their roles, according to four sources familiar with the moves.
The 45 career officials were on joint duty assignment at the agency — meaning they were working at the ODNI but are technically employed by other agencies — and were sent back to their home offices, the sources said.
The National Counterterrorism Center, a component of ODNI that had previously been expected to be a key target for Pulte, was not impacted by the cuts, one source familiar with the situation said.
Pulte said on X Tuesday evening, “Today, I spent time with the National Counterterrorism Center team, who is doing an incredible job protecting our Country under President Trump’s leadership. The room was filled with true professionals and American patriots. It is a privilege to work beside them.”
Another source familiar said there could be as many as two dozen additional firings in the coming weeks, but would unlikely go beyond that. This source said that Pulte has been consulting career intelligence officials on the cuts.
The removals represent the first major move in Pulte’s mandate to make drastic reductions at the spy office, which had already been slimmed down under Gabbard. The ODNI, which acts as a policymaker and coordinator for the 18 agencies that make up the US intelligence community, has been a target of some on the MAGA right who believe it is made up of a “deep state” determined to undermine the president.
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