Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte announced a 30% staff reduction at the ODNI on July 28, 2026, just hours before a Senate vote to confirm his successor, Jay Clayton. The move is the fifth round of cuts under Pulte, whose controversial tenure has been marked by a lack of intelligence experience and the declassification of election-related documents. Clayton is also expected to be confirmed without prior national security experience.
ODNI staff reductions
- ▪The announcement was made on the social media platform X, hours before the Senate was expected to confirm Pulte's permanent replacement
- ▪Pulte did not disclose the exact number of workers affected or which parts of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence were targeted
- ▪On July 28, 2026, Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte announced a fifth round of terminations at the ODNI, an approximately 30% staff reduction
- ▪Pulte stated the purpose of the cuts was so the Intelligence Community could "protect the American people, NOT the political whims of the bloated and corrupt elite class."
Pulte acting director tenure
- ▪During his tenure, Pulte has overseen a declassification of documents related to foreign government threats to influence U.S. elections
- ▪Bill Pulte became acting DNI in June 2026 after Tulsi Gabbard stepped down, citing her husband's cancer diagnosis
- ▪Pulte's early actions as acting DNI included the departure of six employees and the return of roughly 50 intelligence officers to their home agencies
Pulte controversies
- ▪Bill Pulte's appointment drew criticism because he lacked the national security experience required by law for the position
- ▪Pulte, who is 38 years old, also serves as the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency
- ▪While at the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Pulte pursued mortgage-fraud allegations involving perceived adversaries of Donald Trump, including Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Clayton confirmation vote
- ▪Clayton's nomination cleared a procedural vote on July 27, 2026, in a 51-43 party-line tally
- ▪The Senate was scheduled to vote on the night of July 28, 2026, to confirm Jay Clayton as the permanent Director of National Intelligence
- ▪Like Bill Pulte, Jay Clayton will enter the DNI role with no national security experience
- ▪Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York and a former Securities and Exchange Commission chair, is expected to be confirmed
Intelligence community restructuring
- ▪The baseline for the 30% staff reduction was unclear, as the ODNI had already undergone downsizing under former director Tulsi Gabbard
- ▪The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created after the 9/11 attacks to improve communication among the nation's 18 intelligence organizations
- ▪Former DNI Tulsi Gabbard previously fired about 500 people, or 30% of the ODNI workforce at the time, during her 16-month tenure
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