Trump Calls for Smaller Intelligence Oversight Office Amid Debate Over Pulte Appointment
President Donald Trump has said he wants the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, or ODNI, to be reduced in size, arguing that the agency has grown too large and includes employees who “shouldn’t be there.” In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump suggested that staff remaining from the Obama and Biden administrations could be targets for cuts.
The ODNI was created by Congress in 2004 after the Sept. 11 attacks to improve coordination among U.S. intelligence agencies. It oversees 18 agencies and produces the President’s Daily Brief. At the beginning of Trump’s second term, the office had about 1,800 employees.
Trump’s comments come after he appointed Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence. Pulte currently leads the Federal Housing Finance Agency and has no prior national intelligence experience. His appointment does not require Senate confirmation because it is temporary, allowing him to serve for up to 210 days.
An ODNI official said the office had already been significantly reduced under former director Tulsi Gabbard, who cut staffing by nearly half and reduced the annual budget by more than $700 million. The official said the agency looked forward to working with Pulte and Trump on further reductions.
Lawmakers have responded differently to the proposal. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, said the DNI should not be “weaponized” and should remain staffed by professionals. Democratic Sen. Mark Warner said Pulte’s appointment suggested Trump wanted intelligence shaped around his preferences. Other Republicans, including Sen. Tom Cotton, supported downsizing, saying the office had expanded beyond its original purpose.
Trump defended Pulte’s lack of intelligence experience, saying it could help him “shake it up.” He also compared potential ODNI cuts to reductions made at the Department of Education. While Trump has suggested the DNI could eventually be eliminated, doing so would likely require congressional action.