Former President Donald J. Trump said he wants incoming Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte to fire a large number of seasoned intelligence-community employees [1].
The move signals a potential overhaul of the U.S. intelligence apparatus, which could disrupt the continuity of national security operations and the tenure of career civil servants.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal published June 5, 2026, Trump said he wants a purge of the workforce to restore what he described as non-partisan service [1, 2]. He said the current environment within the intelligence community is overly partisan [1, 2].
"I want Bill Pulte to start firing a large number of employees as part of a shake-up of the intelligence community," Trump said [2].
The former president targeted the professional staff, using sharp language to describe the people he believes should be removed from their positions [1, 2].
"People don't want to work for partisan idiots," Trump said [1].
This directive to Pulte comes as the incoming Acting Director prepares to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The call for mass terminations of experienced staff represents a significant shift in how the executive branch intends to manage the intelligence community's personnel [1, 2].
The focus on removing seasoned employees suggests a strategy to replace career officials with those more aligned with the administration's specific goals for the intelligence community [1, 2].
“"I want Bill Pulte to start firing a large number of employees as part of a shake-up of the intelligence community."”
This directive indicates a push to dismantle the traditional 'career' nature of the U.S. intelligence community. By targeting seasoned employees, the administration seeks to reduce the influence of long-term bureaucrats and increase direct political control over the gathering and analysis of national security intelligence.
