Trump Calls for Workforce Reductions in Intelligence Community Under New Acting Director Bill Pulte

President Donald Trump announced on Friday his expectation that the incoming acting Director of National Intelligence begin conducting staff reductions, further fueling criticism over the appointment of an official with no prior intelligence background.

Bill Pulte, a staunch Trump loyalist currently leading the Federal Housing Finance Agency, was designated by the president on Tuesday to take over the role of acting Director of National Intelligence.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump expressed support for potential layoffs, stating, “If he cut, I wouldn’t mind that,” and claiming that staffing levels within the office had been excessively high for an extended period.

In a previous interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump reiterated his desire for Pulte—who will be responsible for overseeing 18 distinct intelligence agencies—to aggressively reduce the workforce.

“I’d like to see it smaller. I think there are a lot of people in there that shouldn’t be there,” Trump told the publication, specifically referencing personnel remaining from the Obama and Biden administrations.

Democratic lawmakers have denounced Pulte’s appointment to succeed Tulsi Gabbard, raising concerns regarding the appointee’s history of using government records to target political adversaries of the president.

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