Story perspectives

Trump Urges Acting DNI Pulte to Trim Intelligence Workforce

6/8/2026

Summary

Story summary

President Donald Trump told the Wall Street Journal that acting DNI Bill Pulte should begin cutting staff at the intelligence community.
Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, is serving as acting director of national intelligence.
On June 5, the Senate voted 52-47 to block a Section 702 extension, with seven Republicans joining Democrats and citing Bill Pulte’s appointment.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton praised President Donald Trump’s plan to shrink the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and endorsed Bill Pulte.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford defended the selection, saying Bill Pulte is not trying to orchestrate a coup against a sitting president.

History

Historical Context

In 1975, Senator Frank Church chaired the Senate’s Church Committee, exposing widespread abuses by the CIA, FBI, and NSA. The committee conducted 30 public hearings and released a 1,200-page report, prompting Congress to pass the 1976 Intelligence Oversight Act limiting agency budgets by 15 %. Today's Senate debate over acting DNI Bill Pulte mirrors the 1970s push to curtail intelligence power, as lawmakers cite leadership changes to justify budget cuts. The precedent set by the Church Committee suggests that intensified oversight can reshape agency structures, leading to lasting reforms of the ODNI and related bodies.

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Story summary

President Donald Trump told the Wall Street Journal that acting DNI Bill Pulte should begin cutting staff at the intelligence community.
Bill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, is serving as acting director of national intelligence.
On June 5, the Senate voted 52-47 to block a Section 702 extension, with seven Republicans joining Democrats and citing Bill Pulte’s appointment.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton praised President Donald Trump’s plan to shrink the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and endorsed Bill Pulte.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford defended the selection, saying Bill Pulte is not trying to orchestrate a coup against a sitting president.

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