US acting spy chief announces new round of staff reductions [View all]

Source: Reuters

July 10, 2026 9:32 PM EDT Updated 10 hours ago


WASHINGTON, July 10 (Reuters) - Acting U.S. Director of ​National Intelligence Bill Pulte announced a third round of staff ‌reductions on Friday after being urged by President Donald Trump in recent weeks to shrink the agency's ranks.

Here are quotes and details:

"U.S. National Intelligence is operating more efficiently and ​effectively than ever before, and today, we started a third ​round of reducing redundant, or non-critical, personnel," Pulte said in ⁠a statement on X.

It did not provide the number of roles ​or personnel that were being terminated.

Since taking office early last year, the ​Trump administration has attempted to remake U.S. agencies and institutions by installing Trump loyalists and cracking down on dissent.

The Trump administration has gutted agencies in the name of tackling ​wasteful spending and fraud but political experts have warned that the ​effort has led to elimination of vital roles across government bodies

Pulte, an ally of ‌Trump, ⁠has no prior national security experience, causing Trump to face a political backlash after the Republican leader's loyalist was picked to fill the role temporarily.