President Donald Trump is urging his incoming acting director of national intelligence, Bill Pulte, to streamline the U.S. intelligence bureaucracy.
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Pulte is set to play a pivotal role in carrying out Trump’s reform plan aimed at reorganizing the federal government.
During a recent interview, Trump expressed to reporters that he had informed Pulte that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) might be “unnecessary and/or too large.” This office oversees 18 different intelligence agencies and units.
This choice of Pulte, who currently leads the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), took many advisers by surprise, particularly since some Republicans raised concerns about his lack of experience in national security.
Trump indicated to the Journal that he wants to see the ODNI reduced in size, citing the presence of “a lot of people who shouldn’t be there,” with particular emphasis on personnel from previous administrations.
When asked if he was instructing Pulte to terminate employees, Trump said he wanted to “start the process.” He added that whoever is ultimately appointed permanently should carry on with those efforts.
The President argued that Pulte’s temporary role grants him more flexibility, labeling him as “less constrained” and suggesting that acting positions afford greater power, at least for a short time.
Trump hopes Pulte can initiate significant changes prior to the confirmation of a permanent director, suggesting that this might be beneficial for the agency ahead of new leadership.
While he interviews candidates for the permanent position, Trump made it clear that Pulte’s time in the role wouldn’t be lengthy.
In comparisons to cuts made by Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Trump expressed a desire for the ODNI to be “much smaller,” even hinting that it might be entirely abolished.
Additionally, Trump has requested that Pulte release further classified documents, particularly those concerning the 2020 election, urging him to, well, “look at everything” and make appropriate decisions on what to disclose.
The push for transparency comes as the ODNI was already experiencing changes under former Director Tulsi Gabbard, who had announced plans to cut government spending significantly, citing redundancies.
Trump’s comments outlining his expectations came just days before the extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) is set to expire on June 12.
Recently, a procedural vote aiming to extend Section 702, which allows for warrantless collection of communications information about foreign nationals in contact with Americans, failed by a narrow margin.
This situation sets the stage for potential challenges ahead, as seven Republican senators joined Democrats in opposing the bill, putting the agency in a tight spot with the approaching deadline.
