Acting US spy chief plans hundreds of layoffs

The incoming acting U.S. intelligence chief is wasting no time shaking up Washington. Bill Pulte, recently appointed by President Donald Trump to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), is reportedly looking to slash hundreds of jobs from the agency.

According to sources familiar with the matter, Pulte caught staff completely off guard by showing up to his new job a day early. Upon arrival, he immediately requested a complete list of every employee in the office to assess who should be fired, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.

The unannounced early visit on Thursday reportedly surprised even the outgoing Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, whose final day in office was Friday.

Pulte met with agency lawyers and staffers during his unexpected walk-through. The swift moves align with earlier warnings given to ODNI staff to prepare for extensive workforce reductions, matching President Trump's stated goal of shrinking the agency's footprint.

No intelligence background, major oversight
Pulte's appointment has raised eyebrows across Washington due to his unconventional background for the role:

Previous role: He transition directly from serving as a federal housing regulator.

The challenge: He steps into the job with no prior national security experience during a period of high global tension.

The scope: As acting spy chief, he will oversee the nation's most critical intelligence units, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA).

These proposed layoffs follow a massive wave of restructuring within the agency. Former director Tulsi Gabbard had already cut the ODNI workforce by roughly 40% during her tenure.

Pulte's aggressive day-one approach signals that the administration intends to push the intelligence community's downsizing even further. The ODNI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada