The man tapped to lead the United States intelligence community is wasting no time making his mark — and his plans could mean pink slips for hundreds of workers, CNN reported Friday.
Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte is pushing to eliminate a large number of positions at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, according to two sources familiar with the situation who spoke to CNN. Pulte reportedly arrived at his new workplace a day earlier than expected on Thursday, after requesting a complete employee roster so he could evaluate who might be let go.
President Donald Trump appointed Pulte — a federal housing regulator — to the acting director role earlier this month. The appointment placed a political loyalist with no prior national security experience at the helm of the country’s intelligence apparatus during a period marked by ongoing conflicts and rising global tensions.
In his new role, Pulte would oversee major agencies including the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency, the latter of which monitors foreign communications and works to defend the country against cyberattacks.
During his Thursday visit, Pulte met with attorneys and staff members, CNN noted. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
Pulte steps into the role left by Tulsi Gabbard, who announced her resignation last month. Her final day leading the agency is June 19.
Pulte’s early arrival caught many staffers off guard. Even Gabbard herself was only given a brief warning ahead of the visit, according to CNN’s reporting.
Reuters had previously reported earlier this month that agency managers had warned employees to brace for significant workforce reductions in the months ahead, following public statements from Trump expressing his desire for the new interim leader to downsize the agency.
Gabbard had already overseen a roughly 40% reduction in the agency’s workforce since she took over the position last year.
