On Wednesday, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced extensive reforms, stating that she will slash her agency’s payroll by over 40% by the end of 2025, a move projected to save an estimated $700 million. She accused the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) of having become “bloated, inefficient, and rife with abuse of power.”
Gabbard Unveils ‘ODNI 2.0’ Plan
In a formal statement and a series of social media posts, Gabbard vowed to “cut bloated bureaucracy, root out deep state actors, and restore mission focus.” Her office released a four-page fact sheet titled “ODNI 2.0,” which details planned reductions in intelligence forecasting, cyber threat monitoring, biosecurity, and weapons proliferation oversight. The Strategic Futures Group was specifically cited for allegedly violating analytic standards to promote a political agenda, while the Foreign Malign Influence Center was accused of being used by the Biden administration to censor political opposition.
Prior Reductions and Clearance Revocations
According to her office, Gabbard has already reduced ODNI’s staff by nearly 30% since taking command, eliminating more than 500 positions. This week, The New York Times reported that she also revoked the security clearances of 37 current and former national security officials, many of whom worked on Russia-related intelligence or election interference analysis.
Critics Raise Concerns
Gabbard’s actions come despite multiple criminal, counterintelligence, and watchdog investigations from 2019 to 2023 that concluded Russia had interfered in US elections to benefit President Donald Trump. Her critics argue that the cuts will undermine national security and point to her history of controversial remarks, including accusations that former President Barack Obama led a “treasonous conspiracy.” Gabbard, 43, has also faced criticism for her perceived close relationships with Vladimir Putin and ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to reduce the size of the federal government, and Gabbard’s overhaul of the ODNI is a part of that broader initiative. Similar budget cuts have already affected US foreign aid and even the Department of Education. The coming months will determine how Gabbard’s restructuring impacts the intelligence community’s ability to monitor foreign threats, cyber risks, and global security challenges.
