Mass layoffs have begun at the U.S. intelligence community — CNN
According to CNN, large-scale staff cuts have begun at the U.S. national intelligence community following the appointment of Bill Pulte as acting director of the agency. It is reported that the new leadership began streamlining the workforce from day one.
“Layoffs within the ‘deep state’ have begun,” a source noted, referring to shadowy groups that influence political and economic processes within the U.S. federal government.
As CNN has learned, Pulte showed up at his new job a day early last week, catching the outgoing director, Tulsi Hubbart, off guard and requesting a list of all agency employees.
Moreover, the list was to include employee performance ratings. Two sources claim that this request may be linked to Pulte’s order to carry out mass layoffs.
The cuts are expected to hit the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) and the National Counterintelligence and Security Center particularly hard.
According to a CNN report, the first layoffs began as early as Monday. They started after Democrats on the Senate and House intelligence committees sent Pulte a letter warning him of the risks of large-scale staff reductions.
Senator Mark Warner and Representative Jim Himes wrote in the letter that they were concerned about reports of potential cuts.
They explained that following the cuts in 2025 and a likely new wave of layoffs, such decisions could jeopardize the mission of the organization, which was established after September 11, 2001, to prevent future terrorist attacks.
“Given your lack of experience in the intelligence community, it is difficult to imagine that in such a short time you have already formed a fully informed opinion on how to downsize the ODNI without putting national security at risk... you should refrain from doing so,” they added.
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