In a series of announcements leading up to his replacement, Acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Bill Pulte has publicly celebrated significant staff reductions within the agency, claiming a total reduction of approximately 30% of the workforce. Pulte confirmed that the agency has completed its fourth and fifth rounds of layoffs, resulting in about 200 job cuts since June. These measures have drawn criticism from former officials, who question the effectiveness and reasoning behind the mass firings. As Pulte exits his role, he has taken the opportunity to highlight these changes, emphasizing a reduced intelligence community that now operates at half its size compared to 18 months ago.