Acting Director of National Intelligence announces 4th wave of layoffs

Acting Director of National Intelligence William Pulte announced Sunday that his office has completed a fourth batch of layoffs.

"Since becoming Acting Director of National Intelligence, our team has been smartly, and carefully, reducing the size of [the Office of the Director of National Intelligence], re-focusing ODNI on national security, the law, and the statute," he wrote in a post on X.

"As of this evening, we just finished a 4th round of thoughtful, measured layoffs. Thank you!" he noted.

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Pulte had previously noted in a July 10 post, "U.S. National Intelligence is operating more efficiently and effectively than ever before, and today, we started a third round of reducing redundant, or non-critical, personnel. DNI’s future is exceptionally bright, and will be focused on following the law and the statute."

President Donald Trump chose Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to serve as acting DNI as well.

Tulsi Gabbard, who had been serving as DNI, departed the role last month. She had previously announced in May that she planned to exit the role due to her husband's bone cancer diagnosis.

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Prior to when Pulte took the reins at ODNI last month, the Wall Street Journal reported that during an interview Trump said he had informed Pulte that he thought ODNI was "unnecessary and/or too big."

"I’d like to see it smaller. I think there are a lot of people in there that shouldn’t be there," the president said, pointing to Obama and Biden administration carryovers, according to the Journal. Asked if he was calling for Pulte to engage in firings, the president indicated he wanted Pulte to "start the process," noting that the eventual DNI nominee should carry on with the effort, the outlet reported.

Trump later announced U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton as his nominee for the DNI role.

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"So deeply grateful to POTUS for letting me be acting Director of National Intelligence. He is, truly, the best, and it is a blessing to work for him. While it’s been only a few weeks, so much has already been accomplished —Operationally, AND, Transparency. Thank you, POTUS," Pulte wrote in a Sunday post on his personal X account.