US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s intelligence operations this week, revoking the security clearances of 37 current and former intelligence officials and slashing more than USD 700 million from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) budget.

Gabbard, acting on President Donald Trump’s directive, accused those whose clearances were revoked of politicizing intelligence, leaking classified information, and manipulating intelligence assessments. Critics have questioned the legality of publicly naming individuals and warned the move could violate the Privacy Act.

Alongside the revocations, Gabbard unveiled plans to reduce the ODNI workforce by roughly 40 per cent, citing decades of “bloat, inefficiency, and politicisation.” She said the changes would return the agency to its core mission: delivering objective and unbiased intelligence to the President and policymakers.

Key offices—including the Foreign Malign Influence Center, which has monitored foreign election interference—will be restructured or absorbed. Gabbard claimed the center was used by the previous administration to suppress free speech and censor political opposition.

The decision has drawn praise from Republican allies, who see the move as a step toward a leaner, less politicised intelligence community, while Democrats and intelligence veterans warned it risks undermining national security and eroding nonpartisan analysis.

– Ends

With inputs from agencies