The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has quietly reduced its personnel by approximately 200 employees since June 1, according to information shared with Congress by the Trump administration. These cuts represent a significant contraction of the agency, which was established two decades ago to oversee and coordinate the activities of all U.S. intelligence agencies.

At the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, the ODNI employed around 2,000 people, but recent congressional sources suggest the current workforce has declined to just over 1,000. The reductions include a mix of firings and the reassignment of intelligence officers back to their original agencies, such as the CIA and other entities that detail personnel to the ODNI. The National Counterterrorism Center, a key component of the ODNI, has reportedly been largely unaffected by the cuts.

The personnel losses have notably impacted the National Intelligence Council, a respected analytic body responsible for community-wide assessments on critical issues like the origins of COVID-19 and foreign interference in U.S. elections. About 20 council members, including senior officers overseeing analysis on Russia, China, and Europe, have either been removed or departed voluntarily. The council’s top official was recently placed on administrative leave.

The staffing reduction occurs amid ongoing tension between the Trump administration and intelligence agencies. Since taking office, President Trump has criticized professional intelligence personnel, accusing them of bias and undermining his administration, notably regarding reports on Russian interference in the 2016 election. The president has also publicly questioned intelligence assessments on matters such as North Korea’s nuclear program and Iran’s responses to recent U.S. and Israeli military operations.

In early June, Trump named William Putle, a federal mortgage regulator with no prior national security experience, as acting director of national intelligence. The administration indicated that Putle’s role would include initiating staff reductions at the ODNI. Putle confirmed on social media in mid-July that the agency had begun a third round of cuts to eliminate "redundant, or non-critical, personnel," but provided no further specifics.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) said that Putle informed him of the departure of a small number of front-office staff and the reassignment of around 45 to 50 career officers back to their agencies. However, the full extent of the personnel changes and the current size of the ODNI workforce remain classified and have not been publicly disclosed by the administration.

Trump’s nominee to permanently lead the ODNI, Jay Clayton, faces confirmation after a contentious Senate Intelligence Committee hearing in which Democrats challenged him over his refusal to acknowledge President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. The Republican-led committee narrowly approved Clayton’s nomination on a 9-8 vote, with a full Senate vote anticipated shortly.

Several former intelligence officials and observers have criticized the administration’s approach, describing the downsizing as detrimental to agency morale and warning that the focus on shrinking the ODNI appears to lack a clear strategic direction. Julia Curlee, a former Trump administration intelligence official who recently left the CIA, characterized the agency as a "fat target" facing punitive cuts amid political tensions.

The ODNI was originally created to address intelligence-sharing failures exposed by the 2001 terrorist attacks, and its evolving role has remained a subject of debate in Washington. The recent reductions come as the agency continues to navigate both internal restructuring and political pressure from the White House and congressional allies.