Berk Kutay Gokmen
24 June 2026•Update: 24 June 2026
The administration of President Donald Trump has removed more than 50 career and political intelligence staff members at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) from their roles, CBS News reported Tuesday.
Six career and political intelligence staff members were terminated and 45 were sent back to their home agencies since Bill Pulte became the ODNI's acting director on Friday, the report said, citing sources.
Pulte has been soliciting recommendations from deputies and other ODNI leaders on potential staffing reductions. While some deputies advocated deeper cuts, Pulte reportedly indicated that the elimination of 51 positions was sufficient for the time being, the report said.
According to the report, one source described the reductions as “thoughtful and methodical.” No employees assigned to the counterterrorism unit were affected. The report also noted that no additional layoffs are currently planned.
These cuts come after former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard oversaw hundreds of staff reductions last year before stepping down last week.
That downsizing initiative aimed to reduce the agency's workforce from approximately 2,000 employees to about 1,300, the report said.
On Monday, CNN reported that the Trump administration began conducting mass firings at the ODNI, with pink slips reportedly being handed out to possibly hundreds of employees at the top intelligence agency.
