Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced Wednesday that her office will undergo sweeping reforms, cutting its workforce by up to 40% and shutting down three offices accused of politicizing intelligence.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) currently employs around 1,800 people. By the end of the restructuring, just 1,300 employees are expected to remain, with many others reassigned to other executive branch agencies.
At least three offices will be eliminated:
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Foreign Malign Influence Center (FMIC)
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National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center
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Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center
Their “core functions” will be absorbed by ODNI’s Mission Integration office or the National Intelligence Council, which oversees intelligence across more than a dozen agencies.
FMIC Tied to 2020 Election Censorship
Officials said the FMIC had eroded public trust and aided in censorship during the Biden administration, including playing a role in Big Tech’s suppression of reporting on Hunter Biden’s laptop in 2020.
One ODNI official likened the FMIC to the State Department’s Global Engagement Center, which Secretary of State Marco Rubio shut down in April following similar free speech concerns.
Education Programs Shift to Defense
As part of the reforms, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will absorb the National Intelligence University into the National Defense University, consolidating all intelligence-related programs and courses.
In a joint memo, Gabbard and Hegseth said the move would “align with President Trump’s focus on increasing efficiencies across government” while saving taxpayers millions.
“ODNI 2.0” — Projected $700 Million in Savings
The revamp, branded “ODNI 2.0,” is projected to save up to $700 million. Officials said the reforms would cut away DEI-driven inefficiencies and shift toward a leaner, “elite workforce.”
“Over the last 20 years, ODNI has become bloated and inefficient,” Gabbard said in a statement. “The intelligence community is rife with abuse of power, unauthorized leaks of classified intelligence, and politicized weaponization of intelligence.”
She added:
“ODNI and the IC must make serious changes to fulfill their responsibility to the American people … Ending the weaponization of intelligence and holding bad actors accountable are essential to begin to earn the American people’s trust which has long been eroded.”
Security Clearance Revocations Preceded Shake-Up
The announcement comes just two days after Gabbard revoked the security clearances of 37 current and former officials, including Vinh Nguyen, a former aide to ex-DNI James Clapper.
Nguyen was implicated in pressuring analysts to support the controversial 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA), which concluded Russia favored Donald Trump in the 2016 election.
