Donald Trump has ordered his incoming director of national intelligence, who oversees the 18 federal intelligence agencies including the CIA, to begin a mass purge of intelligence officials who are holdovers from the Obama and Biden administrations.
The President told incoming spy chief, Bill Pulte, that the federal intelligence agencies and units he oversees are ‘unnecessary and/or too big,’ according to the Wall Street Journal.
‘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 to officials seen as loyal to Obama and Biden.
Trump told reporters he wants Pulte to ‘start the process’ of firing people, even though Pulte is only serving on an acting basis as his intelligence chief.
The President named Pulte as intelligence chief earlier this week on an acting basis, outraging even Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill who voiced concern over Pulte’s lack of national security experience.
Pulte’s acting status means he does not have to go through a Senate confirmation process to serve in the role, avoiding congressional oversight, a move Trump is a fan of.
‘You’re less shackled,’ Trump said. ‘It sort of gives you more power, you know, for a somewhat limited period of time.’
Trump added that he plans for Pulte to make the intelligence purge before he picks a permanent intelligence chief.
Donald Trump has ordered his incoming director of national intelligence to begin a mass purge of intelligence officials
The President told incoming spy chief, Bill Pulte, that the federal intelligence agencies and units he oversees are ‘unnecessary and/or too big,’
Pulte is replacing Tulsi Gabbard who resigned last month due to her husband’s rare bone cancer
‘Frankly, it might be good for him to shake it up before people come,’ Trump added.
‘Because, if he [Pulte] 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.’
Pulte also serves in the Trump administration as the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency.
The director of national intelligence is considered the top job in the entire apparatus of the US intelligence community.
Pulte in his role will brief the President on the most classified areas of intelligence and has control over $100 billion in annual budget for various agencies.
The job also gives Pulte the power to declassify vast amounts of classified documents and government secrets.
Trump told the Wall Street Journal he wants Pulte to release more classified documents related to the 2020 election and his claims of voter fraud.
‘I would say everything—he should look at everything and make a determination,’ Trump said.
Pulte has been angling for the job in recent weeks, following the sudden resignation of Tulsi Gabbard.
He told Trump he would be loyal and would carry out his directives to the intelligence community.
It is unclear when Trump’s mass firings will occur, or whether they already have. The Daily Mail has contacted the office of the national intelligence director for comment.
