Acting US intelligence chief Pulte arrives early, seeks list of hundreds of staff to fire on day one

Politico — White House—Bill Pulte, Trump's newly installed acting Director of National Intelligence, arrived at his post ahead of schedule and immediately sought a complete list of employees to identify who to fire, CNN reported. Politico confirmed Pulte is seeking major staffing cuts on his first day, signaling a rapid purge of the intelligence community. The New Republic reported that Pulte showed up to work early specifically to obtain the firing list, underscoring the aggressive tone of his arrival. The move comes after the Senate Intelligence Committee canceled the confirmation hearing for Trump's preferred DNI pick amid controversy. Critics warn that mass firings at the intelligence community could damage national security capabilities at a sensitive moment.

• Politico — White House — Politico confirmed Pulte is pushing major staffing cuts starting on his first day
• The New Republic — Pulte arrived at work early specifically to obtain the list of names to fire
• The Independent (UK) — Pulte sought a list of every employee to identify who to fire on his first day
• Drudge Report — New acting intel chief Pulte eyes firing hundreds
• Reuters — Acting US intelligence chief Pulte is seeking to fire hundreds of staff, CNN reported