Trump administration shrinks post-9/11 intelligence coordination office

Overview

Updated 3 days ago

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence was created in 2004 to fix the intelligence failures that allowed the 9/11 attacks. Twenty-two years later, President Trump is shrinking it to a fraction of its former size.

Trump named housing regulator Bill Pulte as acting intelligence chief in June and directed him to cut staff, returning employees to their home agencies. Tulsi Gabbard had already reduced the workforce by roughly half. Critics say the cuts dismantle the coordination built after 9/11; supporters call ODNI a bloated bureaucracy that duplicated other agencies' work.

Why it matters

If ODNI's coordination role collapses, the 18 intelligence agencies lose the central clearinghouse built to prevent another 9/11-style failure.

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Key Indicators

~50%

Workforce cut under Gabbard

Tulsi Gabbard reduced ODNI staff by roughly half, saving nearly $1 billion according to an agency spokesperson.

Intelligence agencies overseen by ODNI

ODNI coordinates 18 intelligence agencies across the federal government.

2,000

ODNI staff in 2017

ODNI had roughly 2,000 staffers at the start of Trump's first term; the count has fallen sharply since.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

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People Involved

Donald Trump

President of the United States

Directing ODNI downsizing

William J. (Bill) Pulte

Acting Director of National Intelligence

Acting DNI since June 19, 2026

Tulsi Gabbard

Former Director of National Intelligence

Left the DNI role in June 2026

Organizations Involved

Office of the Director of National Intelligence

Federal Agency

Being downsized under acting DNI Bill Pulte

Created by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to coordinate the 18 intelligence agencies.

Central Intelligence Agency

Federal Agency

Rival to ODNI, potential beneficiary of its decline

One of the 18 intelligence agencies overseen by ODNI, with its own analytic and paramilitary capabilities.

House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

Congressional Committee

Released September 2026 report on oversight gaps

Congressional committee that oversees the intelligence community and released a 66-page retrospective on 9/11 reforms.

Timeline

September 2001 September 2026

10 events Latest: 3 days ago

Tap a bar to jump to that date

September 2026
NPR reports Trump overhauling intelligence community
Latest Report

NPR reports Trump is dismantling much of what was built after 9/11, citing the "deep state."
3 days ago
House Intelligence report on oversight gaps
Report

House Intelligence Committee finds Congress still hasn't implemented key 9/11 oversight reforms.
September 1st, 2026
June 2026
Pulte takes over as acting DNI
Leadership Change

Bill Pulte assumes the acting DNI role, continuing the downsizing effort.
June 19th, 2026
Trump names Pulte acting DNI
Appointment

Trump announces Bill Pulte as acting DNI, directing "immediate and needed downsizing" of ODNI.
June 10th, 2026
Employees brace for extensive cuts
Report

Reuters reports ODNI staff have been told to expect extensive cuts following Trump's comments.
June 9th, 2026
September 2025
ODNI ends key intelligence centers
Restructuring

ODNI shuts down the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center and Foreign Malign Influence Center.
September 1st, 2025
January 2025
Gabbard becomes DNI, begins cutting staff
Leadership Change

Tulsi Gabbard takes over as DNI and starts reducing the workforce by roughly half.
January 20th, 2025
January 2017
ODNI has roughly 2,000 staffers
Milestone

ODNI's workforce peaks at about 2,000 as Trump begins his first term.
January 20th, 2017
December 2004
IRTPA creates DNI and ODNI
Legislation

Congress passes the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, creating the Director of National Intelligence position.
December 17th, 2004
September 2001
9/11 attacks expose intelligence failures
Event

Al-Qaeda attacks kill nearly 3,000, revealing that FBI and CIA failed to share information.
September 11th, 2001

Scenarios

ODNI dismantled, coordination moves to CIA

Likely Resolves by Jan 20, 2027

Discussed by: Washington Examiner, former Trump White House officials

Trump continues shrinking ODNI until it becomes a shell. The CIA, which already has its own analytic and paramilitary capabilities, absorbs coordination functions. Former Trump officials have called ODNI a "fake, bulls*** agency" and a "bureaucratic warehouse." This scenario requires Trump to keep Pulte in place or appoint a like-minded permanent DNI.

Congress blocks further intelligence cuts

Possible Resolves by End of 2026

Discussed by: House Intelligence Committee, Democratic lawmakers

Congressional backlash grows after the House Intelligence Committee's September report highlights oversight gaps. Democrats and some Republicans move to protect ODNI's coordination role, potentially attaching conditions to appropriations or blocking Pulte's permanent confirmation. The FISA 702 reauthorization fight could serve as leverage.

ODNI stabilizes as lean coordination office

Possible Resolves by Jan 20, 2027

Discussed by: ODNI officials, some intelligence analysts

After the initial cuts, ODNI stabilizes at a reduced size, maintaining core coordination functions with fewer staff. The agency continues to oversee the 18 intelligence agencies but with a lighter footprint, and a permanent DNI nominee is confirmed by the Senate.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

July 1947

National Security Act of 1947

Congress passed the National Security Act, creating the CIA, the National Security Council, and the Department of Defense. It was the first major reorganization of U.S. intelligence since World War II.

Then

The CIA became the primary civilian intelligence agency, replacing the wartime Office of Strategic Services.

Now

The 1947 structure lasted nearly 60 years until the 9/11 attacks prompted the creation of ODNI.

Why this matters now

Shows how intelligence structures are created and later dismantled as political priorities shift.

January 1975 – April 1976

Church Committee (1975-76)

Senator Frank Church led a congressional investigation into CIA and FBI abuses, including assassination plots and domestic surveillance. The committee's findings led to the creation of permanent intelligence oversight committees.

Then

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act was passed in 1978, creating the FISA court.

Now

Established the framework for congressional oversight of intelligence that persists today.

Why this matters now

Shows the role Congress has played in checking intelligence power, relevant as the House Intelligence Committee warns about oversight gaps.

July 2004 – December 2004

9/11 Commission and IRTPA (2004)

The 9/11 Commission found that intelligence agencies failed to share information before the attacks. Congress passed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, creating the DNI position and ODNI.

Then

ODNI was established to coordinate the 18 intelligence agencies and prevent future intelligence failures.

Now

ODNI grew to about 2,000 staffers by 2017, and critics increasingly argued it duplicated other agencies' work.

Why this matters now

The reforms created in response to 9/11 are now being dismantled by the Trump administration.