William Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), during a news 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 begun a new spate of firings within the ranks of the U.S. intelligence community, MS Now reported on Friday.
Pulte, whom President Donald Trump tapped as acting spy chief in June, sent out notices of termination on Thursday to dozens of intelligence officials, MS Now reported, citing an intelligence official who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal.
The intelligence official told MS Now that the Trump administration was removing officials “who they believe are deep state” and who have allegedly failed to provide complete pictures of available intelligence.
The White House and the office of the Director of National Intelligence did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday.
CNN first reported last month that Pulte had eliminated several political appointees who served under Tulsi Gabbard, the former director of national intelligence who announced her resignation in May.
Trump reportedly said in early June that he wanted Pulte to “start the process” of firing large numbers of DNI employees. The office of DNI oversees 18 U.S. 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 the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, has used his perch to investigate opponents of Trump’s for alleged mortgage fraud.
Amid congressional opposition to Pulte, Trump in June announced 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 pick for DNI.
The Senate attempted to fast-track Clayton’s bid, scheduling a confirmation hearing for June 17. But Trump scuttled the effort, instructing Clayton not to attend in a Truth Social post hours before the hearing and stating that Pulte would remain acting DNI in the interim.
Pulte assumed the interim role on June 19, gaining access to the most sensitive U.S. intelligence data.
