ODNI
Senate confirms Clayton as Trump’s next intelligence director
The former SEC chairman will replace acting intelligence chief Bill Pulte, whose brief tenure oversaw repeated personnel cuts to the nation’s top spy office.
Pulte announces 30% ODNI staff reduction hours before Clayton vote
The acting intelligence chief said a fifth and “near final” round of terminations was underway Tuesday but did not disclose how many employees were affected.
Trump’s intelligence pick pressed on 2020 election, defends handling of New York Times subpoenas
Jay Clayton faced Democratic criticism after repeatedly declining to say Joe Biden won in 2020 and standing by subpoenas issued by his Manhattan prosecutor’s office to four New York Times journalists.
Trump says Pulte can declassify ‘whatever’ he wants, sparking fears of exposing intelligence secrets
“If he doesn’t care about blowing up cyber exploits, putting foreign relationships at risk, or getting people killed, he could declassify a lot,” one former official said.
ODNI deputy director pushed out amid Pulte cuts
An estimated 15 to 20 individuals who were assigned to the Mission Integration directorate from other intelligence community components are believed to have returned to their respective agencies.
Pulte’s early ODNI cuts include dozens sent back to home agencies
Senate Intelligence Chairman Tom Cotton said the acting director of national intelligence told him about 45 to 50 career officers are being returned to their home agencies, while a smaller number of front-office personnel are leaving federal service.
Lawmakers warn acting DNI against using role for major workforce shakeups
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., and Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., cited concerns about reported ODNI staff cuts while Bill Pulte temporarily leads the intelligence community.
Pulte appointment threatens fragile spy powers deal
Senate Democrats are warning that Trump’s move to install the FHFA director at the head of the nation’s top intel office could make it harder to pass an extension for Section 702 of FISA.
Breaking News
Trump appoints housing official to be acting director of national intelligence
The selection is unconventional for the nation’s lead intelligence official, a role tasked with managing 18 distinct agencies like the CIA and NSA.
Updated
Gabbard to resign as director of national intelligence, citing husband’s health
Her exit marks the end of a 16-month tenure overseeing the nation’s spy agencies, where the former Democratic congresswoman and 2020 presidential candidate sought to reshape ODNI around Trump’s priorities.
ODNI assigns two officials to lead intelligence coordination on election threats
For months, it was unclear if ODNI ever named an election threats executive responsible for leading election security efforts in the 2026 midterm cycle.
DHS intelligence office restructuring would still keep it under ODNI oversight
A proposed FY27 overhaul would still leave DHS’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis answerable to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, despite questions about its oversight.
Lawmakers question VPN impact on Americans' FISA surveillance protections
Democrats from both chambers sent a letter questioning the impacts to the Director of National Intelligence as Congress faces a deadline to renew FISA Section 702, which allows warrantless collection of foreigners’ communications overseas.
ODNI is building a framework to boost spy agencies’ AI adoption
A tech modernization push launched last year also included expanded threat hunting across IC networks, according to an official.
Gabbard’s expanded role in election security draws scrutiny
Since the start of the year, the White House chief of staff and DHS secretary have met multiple times to discuss election security, and DNI Tulsi Gabbard has been present in at least one of those meetings, according to a U.S. official.
Gabbard’s office denies wrongdoing amid scrutiny over whistleblower complaint
ODNI said she acted within her authority in response to reports describing an NSA-intercepted phone call tied to the case.
Keep Senate confirmation for top intelligence lawyers, civil liberties groups urge
A provision in the 2026 annual intelligence community bill would lift Senate confirmation rules for the chief counsels of the CIA and ODNI. Advocates warn the change would weaken transparency and public oversight of the intelligence community.
Senators call for election security briefing as major races draw closer
“We are concerned that you may have directed the Intelligence Community (IC) to cease its intelligence reporting on this vital topic,” the senators wrote to the director of national intelligence in a Monday letter.
US spy chief announces plans to shrink ODNI
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the agency will shrink by over 40% as part of a 2.0 restructuring that includes a focus on “ending the weaponization of intelligence.”
UK ‘agreed to drop’ backdoor encryption demand for Apple, DNI says
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the United Kingdom has abandoned its effort to require that Apple provide its law enforcement and intelligence personnel with “blanket capability” to access customers’ encrypted files.
