{"id":2613968,"date":"2026-06-14T13:05:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T17:05:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/spy-agencies-have-exploded-in-size-trumps-intel-chiefs-are-the-first-to-downsize\/"},"modified":"2026-06-14T13:07:23","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T17:07:23","slug":"spy-agencies-have-exploded-in-size-trumps-intel-chiefs-are-the-first-to-downsize","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/spy-agencies-have-exploded-in-size-trumps-intel-chiefs-are-the-first-to-downsize\/","title":{"rendered":"Spy Agencies Have Exploded in Size &#8211; Trump&#8217;s Intel Chiefs Are the First to Downsize"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fspy-agencies-have-exploded-in-size-trumps-intel-chiefs-are-the-first-to-downsize%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2613968&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>This content discusses the evolution and recent developments within the United States&#8217; intelligence community.It highlights how the FBI has transformed from a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/heres-how-congress-can-end-the-fbis-reign-of-terror\/\" title=\"Congress can stop the FBI&#039;s reign of terror.\">domestic law enforcement agency<\/a> into a massive surveillance organization with a budget of $115 billion across 18 agencies. The article focuses on outgoing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who took measures to reduce bureaucracy by cutting her staff by 40% and redirecting $1 billion, aiming to streamline operations and root out &#8220;deep state&#8221; actors.She signaled her willingness to be the last DNI if the office was deemed unnecessary and announced her departure due to family reasons. <\/p>\n<p>Incoming Acting Director Bill Pulte is expected to further downsize the intelligence apparatus upon his appointment, with President Trump urging significant cuts, even suggesting the possibility of abolishing the ODNI altogether. The article notes previous efforts under Gabbard to reform the ODNI,including reducing its size and closing centers,as well as efforts to declassify intelligence on COVID-19 origins and Havana syndrome. It also references past issues like mission creep, bureaucratic inflation, and problematic intelligence assessments, such as the controversial 2017 report on Russian interference. the piece underscores ongoing attempts to reform and slim down America&#8217;s intelligence infrastructure.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Since the FBI\u2019s founding at the turn of the century, the intelligence community has grown from a domestic law enforcement operation to a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >sprawling 5 billion surveillance apparatus spanning 18 separate agencies<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Outgoing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard did something uncommon in Washington: Taking on the swamp by cutting her own staff by 40 percent and redirecting $1 billion.<\/p>\n<p>An Office of the Director of National Intelligence official told the Daily Caller News Foundation that efficiency efforts will continue as they transition to incoming successor Bill Pulte, whom Trump described as ready to oversee more terminations in an interview with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/politics\/national-security\/trump-urges-less-shackled-pulte-to-fire-intelligence-community-employees-aa62d70d?msockid=34a813cb28c960e93dc0052c291f61d3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Wall Street Journal<\/a> on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe look forward to working with Mr. Pulte and President Trump to continue that work and advance further initiatives aimed at rooting out deep state bad actors and securing saving for the American taxpayer,\u201d an ODNI official told the Daily Caller News Foundation.<\/p>\n<p>Gabbard signaled when first confirmed to be Trump\u2019s intelligence chief in February 2025 that she was willing to be the last director of national intelligence if it was determined that ODNI was unnecessary, the official said.<\/p>\n<p>Gabbard announced she would leave the post on May 22, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/outgoing-gop-lawmakers-express-frustration-with-house-chaos-we-lack-credibility\/\" title=\"GOP lawmakers leaving office express frustration with chaotic House, citing lack of credibility\">citing family obligations<\/a> following her husband\u2019s diagnosis of a rare form of bone cancer. Pulte will assume the role in an acting capacity on June 30.<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Trump wants incoming Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte to slash the size of the U.S. intelligence bureaucracy further, according to the Wall Street Journal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/politics\/national-security\/trump-urges-less-shackled-pulte-to-fire-intelligence-community-employees-aa62d70d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-mrf-link=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/politics\/national-security\/trump-urges-less-shackled-pulte-to-fire-intelligence-community-employees-aa62d70d\">report<\/a>. Trump told the outlet he has privately instructed Pulte that ODNI \u201cunnecessary and\/or too big.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Trump surprised many advisers earlier this week by selecting the Federal Housing Finance Agency\u00a0director as intelligence chief.<\/p>\n<p>The president said he hopes Pulte can begin making changes before a permanent intelligence director is confirmed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFrankly, it might be good for him to shake it up before people come,\u201d Trump said, adding that Pulte can do \u201ca lot of the hard work\u201d before an appointee takes over.<\/p>\n<p>Comparing the effort to Education Secretary Linda McMahon\u2019s downsizing of the Department of Education, Trump said ODNI should be made \u201cmuch smaller\u201d and suggested it could \u201cmaybe even be terminated.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Last year, Gabbard\u2019s team audited the ODNI and unearthed a culture beset by mission creep, bloated bureaucracy, and weaponized intelligence. The house cleaning culminated in a slimmed down \u201cODNI 2.0\u201d by August 2025. Some officials were terminated and other officials detailed to ODNI returned to their home agencies. Three centers were shuttered entirely.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>Among the other tasks that remain on Gabbard\u2019s agenda: Declassifying intelligence related to the origins of COVID and Havana syndrome, officially known as anomalous health incidents.<strong> <\/strong><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>ODNI was first created by the 2004 Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act with the aim of resolving the lack of interagency cooperation that preceded the 9\/11 terrorist attacks.<\/p>\n<p>Yet intelligence silos persisted under prior intelligence chiefs.<\/p>\n<p>A massively influential 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment concluding that Russia aspired for Trump to win the election violated tradecraft standards. The raw intelligence, much of it spun or wholly manufactured, had been withheld from officials outside of a tiny cell overseen by former Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dni.gov\/files\/ODNI\/documents\/DIG\/DIG-Declassified-HPSCI-Report-Manufactured-Russia-Hoax-July2025.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-mrf-link=\"https:\/\/www.dni.gov\/files\/ODNI\/documents\/DIG\/DIG-Declassified-HPSCI-Report-Manufactured-Russia-Hoax-July2025.pdf\">declassified<\/a> documents show.<\/p>\n<p><em>Senior Politics Reporter Ashley Brasfield contributed to this report. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"disclaimer\">\n<p><em>All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter\u2019s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact <a href=\"http:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/mailto:licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org\">licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #171717; display: flex;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.5;margin: 24px 0;padding: 18px 20px 18px 30px;text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"align-self: stretch;border-left: 3px solid #171717;flex-shrink: 0;padding-left: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/\">Choose The Western Journal as your preferred source on Google and never miss reporting that defends truth, protects freedom, and advances Western civilization<\/a><\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey == typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts = { \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs = [ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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Tulsi Gabbard, outgoing DNI, cut staff by 40%<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2613969,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ben-net-2.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[81187,81186,32640],"class_list":["post-2613968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-intelligence-downsizing","tag-spy-agencies","tag-trump-administration"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ben-net-2.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2613968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2613968"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2613968\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2613972,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2613968\/revisions\/2613972"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2613969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2613968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2613968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2613968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}