January 1, Trump Orders Intelligence Bureaucracy Purge Before New Chief Arrives

Wyatt’s Take

• President Trump is finally draining the swamp at the intelligence agencies — telling his acting director to slash the bloated Office of the Director of National Intelligence before a permanent replacement even shows up
• The ODNI has ballooned from a post-9/11 coordination office into a massive bureaucracy packed with Obama and Biden holdovers who Trump says “shouldn’t be there”
• Senate conservatives like Tom Cotton are backing the effort to downsize or eliminate the agency entirely, returning intelligence officers to actual field work instead of Washington desk jobs

President Donald Trump isn’t waiting for Senate confirmation battles to start gutting the intelligence bureaucracy. He’s ordered soon-to-be acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte to begin slashing the Office of the Director of National Intelligence right now — before any permanent nominee even gets confirmed.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump made clear he wants the ODNI dramatically downsized, calling the office “unnecessary and/or too big.” He told Pulte to “start the process” of cutting personnel immediately.

“I’d like to see it smaller. I think there are a lot of people in there that shouldn’t be there,” Trump said, pointing directly at holdovers from the Obama and Biden administrations.

When asked if he wants Pulte to fire employees, Trump didn’t mince words: he wants the acting chief to “start the process,” with his eventual permanent nominee continuing the purge.

The move comes after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard abruptly resigned May 22, effective June 30, citing her husband’s bone cancer diagnosis. Trump quickly named Pulte — currently director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency — to fill the role on an acting basis.

Because the position is temporary, Pulte doesn’t need Senate confirmation and can serve for up to 210 days. That’s exactly what Trump wants.

“You’re less shackled,” Trump explained.

“It sort of gives you more power, you know, for a somewhat limited period of time.”

In other words, Pulte can make the hard cuts without worrying about confirmation hearings or obstruction from Democrats and establishment Republicans. The White House hasn’t said whether Pulte will eventually be nominated for the permanent position.

“Frankly, it might be good for him to shake it up before people come,” Trump added.

“Because, if he reduced the size, in conjunction with me … and in conjunction with possibly the person coming in … he can do a lot of the hard work and we wouldn’t have to saddle somebody that goes in.”

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton immediately backed the plan, renewing his longstanding call to dramatically downsize or outright eliminate the ODNI.

“President Trump is right: the ODNI has grown far beyond its original mandate,” Cotton wrote on X.

“I’ve long advocated for downsizing, if not outright eliminating, this bureaucracy.”

“Time to return these officers back to their home agencies to focus on actual intelligence work. I support President Trump in this effort.”

The ODNI was created in 2004 following the 9/11 Commission recommendations. Its original purpose was simple: improve coordination among U.S. intelligence agencies after catastrophic failures to share information before the terrorist attacks.

The office now oversees and coordinates 18 different intelligence agencies and components. But critics say it’s morphed into just another layer of Washington bureaucracy.

Cotton has been among the loudest voices calling for reform. Earlier in 2026, he introduced legislation capping ODNI employment at 650 people.

The office had roughly 1,800 employees when Trump’s second term began. Gabbard managed to reduce that by about 25% before her resignation — but Trump clearly wants much deeper cuts.

His latest comments suggest the administration is pursuing a far more aggressive restructuring than previously outlined. And Pulte is being tasked with starting that process immediately.

Pulte’s selection raised eyebrows across Washington. The Federal Housing Finance Agency director has zero intelligence or national security background — which is exactly why some establishment figures are panicking.

Former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell raised concerns about the appointment shortly after it was announced.

“Anyone performing this role of such immense public trust must have the extensive national security experience required by statute, and no nominee who falls short of this requirement will earn my vote,” McConnell said.

Democrat Senator Mark Warner went further, posting a video to X attacking the move.

“Trump thinks that Bill Pulte can be both director of the mortgage regulators and director of national intelligence,” Warner complained.

“You can’t do both jobs … this is outrageous.”

But Trump sees Pulte’s outsider status — and temporary position — as assets, not liabilities. The president made clear he wants someone willing to make hard cuts without being captured by the intelligence community establishment.

Trump said he hopes Pulte can slash ODNI’s size before a permanent nominee arrives, handling the “hard work” so the next director inherits a leaner, more focused agency.

Wyatt Matters

Washington’s intelligence bureaucracy has become exactly what hardworking Americans despise about government — bloated, unaccountable, and packed with political operatives more interested in protecting their turf than protecting the country. Trump is doing what he promised: draining the swamp and returning power to people who actually do the work instead of shuffling papers in D.C. office buildings. That’s the kind of common-sense reform Middle America voted for.