Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director William Pulte during a press conference at the Federal Housing Finance Association (FHFA) headquarters in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
Eric Lee | Bloomberg | getty images
Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte has started a new round of firings within the US intelligence community. MS Now reported on Friday.
Pulte, whom President Donald Trump appointed acting spy chief in June, sent dismissal notices to dozens of intelligence officers on Thursday, MS Now reported, citing an intelligence official who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution.
The Trump administration is removing officials it believes have deep-level roles and who have allegedly failed to provide the full picture of available intelligence, intelligence officials told MS NOW.
The White House and the office of the director of national intelligence did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday.
CNN first reported Last month, Pulte replaced several political appointees who served under former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who announced her resignation in May.
Trump reportedly said in early June that he wanted Pulte to “begin the process” of firing a large number of DNI employees. The office of the DNI oversees 18 US intelligence agencies, including the CIA and the National Security Agency.
The President’s decision to tap Pulte has drawn sharp bipartisan criticism from members of Congress.
Pulte, who also serves as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, has used his position to investigate Trump’s opponents for alleged mortgage fraud.
Amid Congressional opposition to Pulte, Trump announced in June that Jay Clayton, the current U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, was his permanent choice for DNI.
The Senate attempted to fast-track Clayton’s bid by scheduling a confirmation hearing for June 17. But Trump scuttled the effort, and instructed Clayton not to participate in it. satya social post hours before the hearing and said Pulte would continue to serve as DNI in the interim.
Pulte assumed the interim role on June 19, gaining access to the most sensitive US intelligence data.