ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) 鈥� President Donald Trump said Friday that he wants his new , , to cut the office, which has already been significantly scaled back during his second term.
Trump noted that the size of the office has been 鈥渨ay too high for way too long鈥� and that 鈥渋f he cut, I wouldn鈥檛 mind that.”
鈥淗e’ll do a very good job,鈥� Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he traveled to Wisconsin for an event on agriculture. 鈥淗e’ll watch it closely, but Bill Pulte is very good, he’s very talented.鈥�
The Republican president said in an earlier interview with The Wall Street Journal that he has asked Pulte to start the process of firing employees. In the interview, Trump said he has already conveyed his view to Pulte, who has served as head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency but has no apparent national security expertise.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to see it smaller. I think there are a lot of people in there that shouldn鈥檛 be there,鈥� Trump said, which the Journal said was in reference to intelligence community officials who had served in the Democratic administrations of Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama.
Trump told the Journal that he wants Pulte to 鈥渟tart the process鈥� of firing personnel and that the eventual permanent director of national intelligence should continue it. The president has indicated that he for the position.
鈥淔rankly, it might be good for him to shake it up before people come,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淏ecause, if he (Pulte) reduced the size, in conjunction with me 鈥� and in conjunction with possibly the person coming in 鈥� he can do a lot of the hard work and we wouldn鈥檛 have to saddle somebody that goes in.鈥�
Pulte was tapped by the president earlier this week in a surprising move that has been met with bipartisan resistance in the Senate, which confirms presidential nominations. The temporary appointment has now snarled the renewal of on Capitol Hill, with Democrats key to the vote pointing out that they did not trust Pulte 鈥� whose office oversees 18 intelligence agencies 鈥� to help administer the surveillance program.
Trump told reporters on Air Force One that Pulte will stay in the position depending on how long it takes to get his successor confirmed. The president also said he was considering five people who were 鈥渁ll very good, all people that you know very well, all people that do that kind of thing.鈥�
鈥淭hey’re very respected people,鈥� Trump said of his intelligence candidates, without naming them.
Under Pulte鈥檚 predecessor, Tulsi Gabbard, the DNI office had already taken steps to . In August, the Trump administration said that the office鈥檚 budget would be cut by more than $700 million per year, while slashing the size of its workforce.
At the time, Gabbard said the office had become 鈥渂loated and inefficient鈥� while she announced .
Gabbard after revealing her husband鈥檚 cancer diagnosis.
___
Kim reported from Washington.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
