Declassification Controversy Looms
Trump instructs acting DNI Pulte to declassify extensive intelligence, sparking political scrutiny
Key Points
Pulte previously made criminal referrals to the DOJ against top Trump political opponents over alleged mortgage fraud, including Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, Sen. Adam Schiff, and New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Clayton’s confirmation hearing was reported to be in two weeks, with Clayton set to oversee the declassification process once confirmed while Pulte remains in the interim role.
Trump’s remarks about declassifying decisions were made as he boarded Air Force One, a plane gifted by the Qatari government, underscoring the public framing of the disclosure.
Democrats warned that appointing someone with limited intelligence experience to the DNI could invite politicized disclosures and potential misuse of the office.
CNN noted that Trump views the DNI as playing a central role in election security, both past and present, framing the position as pivotal to his broader election-related messaging.
President Donald Trump told reporters on Tuesday that acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte is free to "declassify almost everything" and "whatever he wants" during his temporary tenure. Trump made the remarks while boarding Air Force One — a $400 million Boeing 747-8 gifted by the Qatari government — at Joint Base Andrews, according to Reuters.
Pulte, who has no prior intelligence experience, was named acting DNI after Tulsi Gabbard resigned. He is holding the role while the Senate considers Jay Clayton, Trump's permanent nominee. Trump said Clayton will oversee the declassification process once confirmed, calling him "a highly respected man."
Pulte Purges Staff and Opens Declassification Floodgates
Pulte took over as acting DNI on June 19 and moved fast. Within days, he removed 51 staffers from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence — firing 6 political appointees and sending 45 career officers back to their home agencies, according to AOL News. The ODNI, which was created after the September 11 attacks to coordinate 18 spy agencies, had already been shrinking from roughly 2,000 staff toward a target of 1,300 under Gabbard.
Now Trump has given Pulte sweeping power to open classified files. Detroit News reported that Trump's directive extends specifically to records tied to the 2020 election. A White House task force has been reviewing thousands of pages from the CIA, NSA, and FBI for months, NBC News reported, gathering material that could be used to bolster Trump's past claims of ballot irregularities.
Pulte Used FHFA Role to Target Trump's Political Rivals
Before leading the nation's spy apparatus, Pulte ran the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and their roughly $10 trillion in assets. He used that platform aggressively. Pulte filed criminal referrals to the Department of Justice against several high-profile Trump opponents, alleging mortgage fraud, according to GV Wire.
The targets included Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, Senator Adam Schiff, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and former Representative Eric Swalwell. Critics called it a coordinated attempt to weaponize federal agencies for political retaliation. Those same critics now warn that handing Pulte broad declassification powers follows the same playbook.
Democrats Warn of Politicized Intelligence Disclosures
Senator Mark Warner and Representative Jim Himes sent Pulte a formal letter on June 22, warning him not to make major structural or personnel changes during his acting tenure. They argued that Pulte's lack of experience makes him unqualified to shrink the ODNI without, in their words, "incurring risks to national security," according to Yahoo News.
A coalition of 19 Senate Democrats, led by Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, also warned agency heads not to destroy records tied to possible election tampering. They accused the administration of "weaponizing the declassification process for partisan political purposes." Jay Clayton's confirmation hearing was postponed after Trump directed Clayton not to appear, reportedly to use the appointment as leverage for a voter ID bill.
Confirmation Delay Leaves Acting Director With Unchecked Power
The postponement of Clayton's Senate Intelligence Committee hearing has a direct consequence: Pulte keeps acting authority longer. Former officials say federal law requires a DNI to have "extensive national security experience" — a bar they argue Pulte does not meet. Yet with no confirmed director in place, Pulte can keep cutting staff and declassifying files with little formal check on his actions.
Trump framed the ODNI as "too big" and said it plays a "central role" in election security, both past and present. Intelligence veterans warn the cuts could recreate the information silos that existed before 9/11. Any declassified election documents released before the 2026 midterms could further inflame debate over the integrity of U.S. elections, analysts say.
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