Balgarianovinite.com
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Per a Friday interview with The Wall Street Journal, President Donald Trump said acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte is “less shackled” because he does not require Senate confirmation — and should use that freedom to begin firing employees across the U.S. intelligence community.
According to the Journal’s Brian Schwartz, Trump said he has privately encouraged Pulte to start reducing the size of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), which coordinates the work of 18 intelligence agencies and offices across the federal government.
“I’d like to see it smaller. I think there are a lot of people in there that shouldn’t be there,” Trump said, referencing those who remained from former President Barack Obama and former President Joe Biden’s administrations.
When asked whether he was specifically calling for employees to be dismissed, Trump replied that he wants Pulte to “start the process” and said whoever is eventually nominated to hold the position permanently should continue those efforts.
The report also said Trump floated the possibility of dramatically reducing or even eliminating ODNI altogether.
“We’ve made the Department of Education much smaller, and likewise, this should be much smaller,” Trump said. “And this should maybe even be terminated, and we’ll make that decision.”
Trump’s comments come just days after he named Pulte — currently the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency — to serve as intelligence chief on an acting basis despite having no traditional national security background. He went on to suggest that his temporary status could actually give Pulte greater latitude to act.
“You’re less shackled,” Trump told the Journal. “It sort of gives you more power, you know, for a somewhat limited period of time.”
Trump also said he hopes Pulte can make significant changes before a permanent director is confirmed.
“Frankly, it might be good for him to shake it up before people come,” Trump said. “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.”
The post Trump Urges ‘Less Shackled’ Bill Pulte to Fire Intelligence Officials: WSJ first appeared on Mediaite.
Trump Urges ‘Less Shackled’ Bill Pulte to Fire Intelligence Officials: WSJ 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-06-05 19:43:51 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law