The Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard intends to reduce the number of employees in her department by 40% in the coming months, as well as to terminate the work of the Center for Countering Foreign Influence.
This is stated in a written statement by the department, published on August 20.
As follows from the document, Gabbard intends to carry out a “long-delayed reorganization“ of her department. It "will be reduced by more than 40% by the end of fiscal year 2025 /September 30/, which will save taxpayers more than $ 700 million annually".
The statement specifies that as part of the reorganization, the functions of the center for countering "malign foreign influence" created in 2022 will be transferred to other units within the US National Intelligence Service. The document emphasizes that there is no need for the center. Previously, employees of the aforementioned center made allegations that other countries, including Russia and China, are conducting information campaigns aimed at influencing the United States.
Gabbard noted that "over the past 20 years, the office of the Director of National Intelligence has become bloated and ineffective". According to her, “abuses of power, unauthorized leaks of information, the use of intelligence for political purposes are flourishing in the US intelligence community“. Gabbard coordinates the activities of all 18 US intelligence agencies.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has previously begun massive cuts in departments. Elon Musk, who until recently led the work of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), reducing the bloated state apparatus and fighting bureaucracy, was actively involved in this activity.