Political Purge: Gabbard Targets Partisan Intelligence

Woman in blue blazer holding a microphone.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has launched the most aggressive downsizing in intelligence community history, slashing ODNI staff by over 40% while eliminating offices she claims were weaponized for partisan political purposes.

Story Highlights

ODNI workforce cut from 2,000 to 1,300 employees by September 30, 2025
Three “politicized” offices eliminated, including External Research Council and Strategic Futures Group
Massive reorganization projected to save taxpayers $700 million annually
Largest intelligence agency restructuring since ODNI’s creation in 2004

Gabbard Targets Bloated Intelligence Bureaucracy

Tulsi Gabbard announced her sweeping “ODNI 2.0” reorganization plan on August 20, 2025, declaring that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence “has become bloated and inefficient, and the intelligence community is rife with abuse of power.” The plan eliminates what Gabbard characterizes as redundant offices that grew unchecked under previous administrations. Staff reductions began immediately with 60-day notice periods for affected employees, representing the most dramatic intelligence community downsizing since the agency’s post-9/11 establishment.

Partisan Offices Face Complete Elimination

The restructuring specifically targets offices Gabbard identifies as politically compromised, including the complete elimination of the External Research Council and Strategic Futures Group for alleged partisanship. The Foreign Malign Influence Center, National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center, and Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center will be consolidated into the National Intelligence Council. Additionally, the National Intelligence University will merge with the Pentagon’s National Defense University, streamlining duplicated educational functions that previously operated as separate bureaucratic fiefdoms.

Massive Cost Savings for American Taxpayers

The reorganization promises to deliver over $700 million in annual savings to American taxpayers while refocusing ODNI on its core mission of intelligence coordination. With the U.S. intelligence budget exceeding $100 billion in 2024, Gabbard’s cuts address long-standing concerns about wasteful spending and bureaucratic overlap. The downsizing occurs with full backing from President Trump, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio, demonstrating the administration’s commitment to fulfilling campaign promises of government efficiency and draining the swamp.

🚨NEW: Tulsi Gabbard to downsize ODNI's workforce by 40%, eliminate 'politicized' offices #MAGA https://t.co/B8LNCUYB6S

— Sam Smith – Army Ranger Vet (@beachbattranger) August 20, 2025

Historic Intelligence Community Reform

This represents the largest ODNI staff reduction since the agency’s creation following 9/11 intelligence failures. The restructuring addresses decades of bureaucratic expansion that critics argue created inefficiency and political weaponization within the intelligence community. By September 30, 2025, ODNI will operate with approximately 1,300 employees compared to nearly 2,000 in February, marking a return to leaner, mission-focused operations that prioritize American national security over bureaucratic empire-building and partisan political agendas.