Acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Bill Pulte announced on Sunday, July 27, 2026, that his office completed a fourth round of layoffs since he took over on June 19. Pulte stated on the social platform X that the reductions were carried out "smartly, and carefully," aiming to reduce the size of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and refocus it on national security, legal compliance, and statutory duties.

Pulte's tenure follows former DNI Tulsi Gabbard, who claimed to have fired approximately 500 employees—about 30 percent of the agency's workforce—during her roughly 16-month leadership.

The layoffs come amid broader political controversies. Lawmakers from both parties have expressed concerns about Pulte's limited intelligence experience and his previous efforts to push federal prosecutors toward criminal indictments related to mortgage fraud allegations against perceived political enemies of former President Trump.

In related political developments, all Democrats voted against advancing Clayton’s nomination to the full Senate floor after he refused to confirm whether President Biden won the 2020 election over Trump during his confirmation hearing.

Earlier in July 2026, former President Trump accused the Chinese government of accessing hundreds of millions of U.S. voter registration files during the 2020 campaign. Speaking in the Oval Office alongside Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, the president said, "But we’ll be talking to them."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian responded by saying Trump "entirely fabricated" the allegations against Beijing.

Sources