William Pulte, the Acting Director of National Intelligence, has announced a fifth wave of staff cuts at the office, saying reductions now amount to roughly 30% fewer personnel compared with a few weeks earlier. The announcement comes as the Senate prepares to confirm President Trump's nominee to lead the agency permanently, with the outgoing acting chief framing the downsizing as part of a wider push for efficiency and transparency within the intelligence community.

Pulte linked the cuts to what he described as historic declassification efforts under the Trump administration, presenting both moves as evidence of reform at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The confirmation process for the incoming nominee, reported to be Jay Clayton, has included a Senate hearing in which Democrats pressed him on his views regarding 2020 election claims and questioned the timing of his testimony, which Trump had delayed amid disputes over the SAVE America Act.