President Donald Trump said Wednesday that acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte has authorization to declassify almost all intelligence materials.
This directive signals a potential shift in how the U.S. government handles classified information, as the president seeks to make previously secret files public during a transition period.
Speaking during a press briefing at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Trump said that Pulte has a broad mandate to release information. "I told acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte to declassify almost everything," Trump said [2].
Trump described the appointment as a temporary measure, noting that Pulte will serve in the role for a month or two [1]. The president said that this short window of time does not limit Pulte's authority to release documents. "Bill is there just for a fairly short period of time. But while he's there, I said you can declassify whatever you want," Trump said [1].
The acting intelligence chief's tenure is expected to last approximately one or two months [1], [3]. Trump said that Pulte can declassify almost everything while serving as acting DNI [2].
The move comes as the administration looks to open classified files to the public. By granting this authority to a short-term acting director, the president is accelerating the process of making intelligence records accessible without the constraints of a permanent appointment process.
“"I told acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte to declassify almost everything."”
The authorization of a short-term acting official to declassify vast amounts of intelligence data bypasses traditional, lengthy review processes typically managed by permanent agency heads. This approach could lead to a rapid release of sensitive government documents, potentially altering public understanding of intelligence operations while minimizing the bureaucratic oversight associated with long-term appointments.
