DNI Tulsi Gabbard Plans 40% ODNI Staff Cut, $700M Savings

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced a major restructuring of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), reducing its workforce by 30% to nearly 50% and cutting its budget by over $700 million annually. This initiative, termed "ODNI 2.0," will eliminate several offices deemed redundant or politicized, including the Foreign Malign Influence Center, and consolidate core functions within other agencies to enhance efficiency and focus on the agency's central mission. The reforms aim to address bureaucratic bloat and adapt the ODNI to evolving national security challenges, with changes scheduled to take effect by September 30, 2025. The overhaul is the most significant since the agency's creation after the 9/11 attacks and follows a months-long review conducted with input from staff and senior officials, with coordination from the White House under President Donald Trump. Affected personnel will be notified and either reassigned or separated, with support resources provided. The move has garnered bipartisan recognition as a necessary reform to restore trust and improve the intelligence community's oversight and integration functions.