June 6, 2026
World
World
WASHINGTON, June 6 — US President Donald Trump said Friday he wants his incoming acting spy chief to begin cutting staff, further fuelling controversy over the appointment of a man with no prior intelligence experience.
WASHINGTON, June 6 — US President Donald Trump said Friday he wants his incoming acting spy chief to begin cutting staff, further fuelling controversy over the appointment of a man with no prior intelligence experience.
Bill Pulte, a Trump loyalist who currently leads the Federal Housing Finance Agency, was named by the Republican president on Tuesday as acting Director of National Intelligence.
“If he cut, I wouldn’t mind that,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, saying the staffing level in the office had been “way too high for way too long.”
In an earlier Wall Street Journal interview, Trump said he wanted Pulte — who will oversee 18 US intelligence agencies — to reduce personnel numbers.
“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 who remained from the Biden and Obama administrations.
Democrats have criticised Pulte’s appointment to replace Tulsi Gabbard as intelligence chief, citing concerns over the loyalist’s past use of government records against Trump’s political opponents.
Trump has sought to ease tensions by insisting Pulte is only serving in a temporary capacity and said Friday he had recently interviewed five candidates for the permanent role.
However, he told the WSJ that the interim position could still give Pulte room to significantly restructure the intelligence community.
“You’re less shackled,” he said. “It sort of gives you more power, you know, for a somewhat limited period of time.”
Trump also suggested Pulte could be involved in investigating alleged “rigged elections,” reiterating unfounded claims linked to his 2021 election loss.
The Republican president had previously tasked Tulsi Gabbard, who said she was stepping down to care for her ill husband, with probing election fraud allegations despite the intelligence director’s office not having such a mandate.
Pulte, a property heir, has previously demonstrated loyalty to Trump by targeting political adversaries.
He has reportedly used mortgage records in inquiries involving Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff.
The appointment has also deepened tensions between Trump and Republican lawmakers, with senators blocking legislation to renew a key foreign surveillance authority on Friday in protest.
Democrats argued the appointment made it difficult to support expanded surveillance powers without clearer safeguards on intelligence use. — AFP
