Trump says he wants new acting intel chief Bill Pulte to cut staff: ‘Lot of people that shouldn’t be there’

WASHINGTON — President Trump said Friday he wants incoming acting director of national intelligence Bill Pulte to “start the process” of shrinking the agency’s workforce — building on outgoing director Tulsi Gabbard’s 40% headcount cut.

“I’d like to see it smaller. I think there are a lot of people in there that shouldn’t be there,” Trump told the Wall Street Journal in an interview.

Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and chairman of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, will be “less shackled” due to the fact that he will only serve for a matter of months as spy chief, the president added.

President Trump defended Bill Pulte – his pick to replace Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence. REUTERS

Bill Pulte was named the new director of national intelligence. AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

“It sort of gives you more power, you know, for a somewhat limited period of time,” Trump said of Pulte, who will take the reins after Gabbard departs June 30.

“Frankly, it might be good for him to shake it up before people come. Because, if he reduced the size, in conjunction with me … and in conjunction with possibly the person coming in [after him] … he can do a lot of the hard work and we wouldn’t have to saddle somebody that goes in.”