Trump flunky to axe career veterans over 'deep state' conspiracies

Reports have surfaced over the past several weeks about intelligence experts being fired from their posts working with the Director of National Intelligence. Now, it turns out he's firing people outside of his purview as well.

MS NOW reporter Vaughn Hillyard told the network that initially, the firings were focused on political appointees, but now the analysts themselves believe these new firings are the big next step in cleaning house.

Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte was the initial nominee, but Trump withdrew his name from consideration. The second nominee he stopped from testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee. Trump said he wanted Pulte to clean house first.

Pulte "could expect to serve in this capacity for several months while another individual whom [Trump] has put forward as a nominee for the full-time position goes through a confirmation process," said Hillyard.

When Trump said he would nominate Pulte, there was a huge backlash from lawmakers, including Republicans, saying that they would fight the nomination. The Federal Vacancies Reform Act gives a 210-day limit to acting officials in Senate-confirmed positions.

Among the first acts Pulte took before his first day was to demand a list of people to be fired.

"Those individuals are the ones [who] are being terminated," said Hillyard. "These are not just political appointees, but these are career officials."

Senators have expressed hefty concern over the past several weeks, fearful that Pulte will weaken national security because he has little understanding of the agency or intelligence in general.

"I am told by an intelligence official who is remaining anonymous out of fear of reprisal," that these firings will continue. "I am told that there are individuals who they claim are, 'Part of the deep state, withholding information related to intelligence that has been requested by leadership at the DNI'," Hillyard reported.

Hillyard, working with MS NOW's David Rhode, said that it's important to understand the context and that intelligence officials within the office have never heard of anything like this happening with the DNI or any of the 15 other agencies, including the CIA. Career officials simply don't withhold requested information.

"I'm told by one official that the terminations are happening out of a belief by leadership at the DNI, including from Bill Pulte, that those [who] are being removed are individuals who they suspect of being a part of the so-called 'deep state' and are not providing the full picture of intelligence assessments under their purview. And so there's going to be a lot of questions here," Hillyard continued.

He reinforced that the matter was not normal, and it comes at a time when DNI officials are concerned about foreign governments meddling in the 2026 midterm elections.

The number of dismissed career officials and DNI experts is expected to be in the dozens, Hillyard closed.

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