President directs newly appointed acting intelligence chief to begin workforce reductions at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, deepening an effort to streamline the intelligence community amid growing congressional scrutiny.
WASHINGTON | President Donald Trump has directed newly appointed Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte to reduce the size of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), signaling a continuation of the administration's broader effort to reshape and streamline the U.S. intelligence community.
Speaking aboard Air Force One on Friday while traveling to Wisconsin, Trump praised Pulte and openly endorsed additional cuts to the intelligence office, arguing that the agency has become excessively large and inefficient.
"He'll do a very good job," Trump told reporters. "He'll watch it closely, but Bill Pulte is very good; he's very talented. If he cut, I wouldn't mind that."
The comments provide the clearest indication yet that the White House intends to continue downsizing the ODNI following significant workforce and budget reductions implemented earlier in Trump's second term.
