Frank Nez 
On August 20, 2025, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced a dramatic restructuring of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), slashing its workforce by more than 40% and cutting its annual budget by over $700 million.
The move, first reported by the Associated Press, aligns with President Donald Trump’s push to reduce federal spending and reshape the intelligence community, which he has long criticized for alleged politicization.
Gabbard’s plan, which includes terminating the Foreign Malign Influence Center and revoking security clearances for 37 officials, has sparked both praise and concern, with supporters calling it a bold step to curb bureaucracy and critics warning it could weaken national security.
Details of the ODNI Restructuring
Gabbard, who oversees 18 U.S. intelligence agencies, described the ODNI as “bloated and inefficient,” citing issues like “abuse of power, unauthorized leaks, and politicized weaponization of intelligence,” per the Associated Press.
The workforce reduction, announced on August 20, 2025, will cut more than 40% of ODNI staff, with the budget slashed by over $700 million annually..
The Foreign Malign Influence Center, tasked with tracking foreign threats to U.S. elections, will be effectively terminated, with its functions merged into other agencies, as Gabbard deemed it “redundant” and overly focused on election-related work.
The restructuring follows Gabbard’s earlier actions, including firing two veteran intelligence officials, Mike Collins and Maria Langan-Riekhof, on May 14, 2025, for their perceived opposition to Trump, and eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion programs under Trump’s orders, per PBS News.
Gabbard also created the Director’s Initiatives Group in April 2025 to explore cost-cutting and declassification of materials, such as COVID-19 origins documents.
These changes align with Trump’s broader cost-cutting efforts, led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, which has overseen mass federal layoffs.
Support and Criticism of the Overhaul
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, praised the cuts as “an important step towards returning ODNI to its original size, scope, and mission,” arguing they would strengthen national security, per AP News.
Social media reactions on X echoed this sentiment, with @jackgbradley posting on August 20, 2025, that Gabbard’s plan targets “bloated bureaucracy” and “deep state actors.”
@ana_pouvreau similarly noted the “major shake-up” as a positive move.
However, critics have raised alarms.
Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, expressed skepticism, stating he would “conduct rigorous oversight to ensure any reforms strengthen, not weaken, our national security,” citing Gabbard’s “track record of politicizing intelligence.”
Emerson Brooking of the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab called the termination of the Foreign Malign Influence Center a move that “guts its core mission,” arguing that its role in parsing intelligence across agencies is “both important and extremely boring,” per the AP News report.
Broader Context of Gabbard’s Tenure
Gabbard’s actions reflect her alignment with Trump’s distrust of the intelligence community, rooted in his rejection of the 2017 assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 election.
Since her confirmation on February 12, 2025, Gabbard has declassified documents to challenge those findings, accusing the Obama administration of a “treasonous conspiracy,” claims refuted by former CIA officer Susan Miller as “lies” based on credible 2017 intelligence, per NBC News.
Her July 23, 2025, White House briefing, where she accused Obama of orchestrating a “years-long coup,” drew sharp criticism for lacking evidence.
Gabbard’s tenure has also faced scrutiny over her past, including a 2017 meeting with Syrian President Bashar Assad, which led Sen. Tammy Duckworth to call her “compromised.”
Despite this, Gabbard’s reforms, including using AI to accelerate declassification of JFK assassination files, have been praised by Trump, who pinned a video of her remarks on social media.
Her efforts to revamp the President’s Daily Brief, potentially as a Fox News-style video, reflect attempts to tailor intelligence to Trump’s preferences.
The ODNI cuts, part of Trump’s broader campaign to reduce federal spending, could streamline operations but may risk undermining intelligence coordination, particularly on counterterrorism and election security.
With Trump’s approval rating at 39% per an ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll, the restructuring may bolster his base’s trust in his anti-establishment stance but could alienate moderates concerned about security.
As the 2026 midterms approach, the debate over Gabbard’s reforms will likely intensify, with Congress, led by figures like Warner, poised to scrutinize their impact.
But I’m curious to know what you think, leave your thoughts and vote reaction below.
Also Read: Social Security is Now on The Chopping Block, 24% Cuts Expected by 2032
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