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Agencies

Pulte Boasts of Another Mass Firing as He Prepares to Exit DNI Role

President Trump has urged the acting director to use his limited time in office to make cuts and shrink the agency, pointing to holdovers from previous administrations.

Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency Bill Pulte

Pulte has concurrently served as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, a role he will continue after eventually leaving his intelligence post. Mark Schiefelbein/AP

By Torrie Herrington

July 28, 2026 04:06 p.m.

Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte announced another round of terminations Tuesday, hours before the Senate is set to confirm a new agency head.

“We are, this morning, Executing a 5th and Near Final Round of TERMINATIONS, an approximately 30% Staff Reduction from Weeks Ago. The Intelligence Community must protect the American people, NOT the political whims of the bloated and corrupt elite class,” Pulte said in a post on X.

President Donald Trump said last month that he wanted Pulte to use his limited time in the office to make serious changes. He urged the acting director to “start the process” of making cuts and shrinking the agency, pointing to holdovers from previous administrations.