Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte has begun a restructuring of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, removing several political appointees and returning dozens of career intelligence officers to their home agencies as the Trump administration moves to reduce the size of the organization.
According to a report by The Washington Post, the personnel changes include the dismissal of six political appointees and the reassignment of approximately 45 to 50 career intelligence officers who had been detailed to the ODNI from other federal agencies.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was established in 2004 to coordinate the work of the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies following recommendations made after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, defended the staffing changes, rejecting suggestions that the agency was carrying out widespread firings.
Cotton said Pulte informed him that only “a small handful of front-office personnel” were leaving the agency, describing such turnover as common when new leadership takes over.
He also said the 40 to 50 career intelligence officers were simply returning to the agencies where they were permanently employed rather than being dismissed from federal service.
“I think that’s a step in the right direction,” Cotton said during remarks on the Senate floor, while reiterating his longstanding support for reducing the size of the ODNI.
Last year, Cotton introduced legislation that would cap the agency’s full-time workforce at 650 employees as part of a broader effort to streamline the intelligence community.
The restructuring has drawn criticism from several current and former intelligence officials who warned the reductions could weaken the agency’s ability to coordinate intelligence operations across the federal government, per the Conservative Brief.
Beth Sanner, a former deputy director of national intelligence who also served as President Donald Trump’s intelligence briefer during his first term, told The Washington Post she believes the office is being weakened by the staffing cuts.
“The agency is being so hollowed out that its new name might become DNR — do not resuscitate,” Sanner said. “It’s on life support already.”
Former White House intelligence official Julia Curlee questioned the approach taken by the administration, saying debate over the agency’s size is reasonable but arguing that removing dozens of experienced officers immediately does not constitute meaningful reform.
Former CIA station chief John Sipher, who has also advocated for reducing the size of the ODNI, similarly said downsizing the agency may make sense but disagreed with the method being used to implement the changes.
The latest personnel moves reflect President Trump’s broader effort to reduce the size of parts of the federal government while reshaping agencies responsible for national security and intelligence coordination.
