Trump urges pick for top intelligence official to fire ‘a lot of people’ Donald Trump has urged Bill Pulte, his temporary appointee as Director of National Intelligence, to reduce the size of the intelligence community, believing many individuals “shouldn’t be there.” This comes as the US Senate, with bipartisan opposition, blocked the extension of a government surveillance program, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Concerns over Pulte’s appointment, due to his lack of experience and perceived political loyalty, have cast a shadow over the FISA vote, with critics suggesting it undermines national security.

• Donald Trump has encouraged acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte to reduce the number of people in the intelligence community.
• Trump believes the Office of the Director of National Intelligence is “unnecessary and/or too big” and wants it to be smaller.
• Seven Republican senators joined Democrats to block the renewal of Section 702 of FISA, a government surveillance program.
• Bipartisan concern exists over the appointment of Bill Pulte, a major Republican donor, as acting director of national intelligence.
• Critics argue Pulte lacks intelligence, law enforcement, or congressional experience and was appointed due to “100% loyalty” to Trump.
• The FISA program allows intelligence agencies to collect communications of foreign targets outside the US without a warrant, but critics fear domestic communications can be swept up.
• Trump suggested Pulte might investigate unfounded allegations of election cheating.