For years, conservatives have watched Washington’s intelligence apparatus grow into an out-of-control monster. It eats up tax dollars while chasing political enemies. The sprawling bureaucracy created after 9/11 to protect Americans? It’s become a symbol of everything wrong with big government.
Here’s the thing nobody wants to admit. That whole system we built to keep us safe has been too busy playing politics to do its actual job. And we’re paying billions for the privilege of being spied on by our own government. Makes you wonder who the real threat is, doesn’t it?
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard dropped a bombshell Wednesday. She’s cutting her agency’s workforce by more than 40 percent. That’s going to save taxpayers over $700 million every single year. Her plan, called “ODNI 2.0,” is the biggest shakeup of America’s spy agencies since they were created after 9/11.
Cutting the Bloat
Let me break this down for you. Gabbard has already cut 500 positions since taking office in February. Hundreds more are getting the ax by December. She’s targeting offices that were basically Democrat political weapons. Take the Foreign Malign Influence Center. The Trump team says it was “used by the previous administration to justify the suppression of free speech and to censor political opposition.” Sound familiar?
From ‘Fox News’:
Over the last 20 years, ODNI has become bloated and inefficient, and the intelligence community is rife with abuse of power, unauthorized leaks of classified intelligence, and politicized weaponization of intelligence. ODNI and the IC must make serious changes to fulfill its responsibility to the American people and the U.S. Constitution by focusing on our core mission: find the truth and provide objective, unbiased, timely intelligence to the President and policymakers. Ending the weaponization of intelligence and holding bad actors accountable are essential to begin to earn the American people’s trust which has long been eroded.
The housecleaning goes deep. Gabbard’s shutting down ODNI’s Reston campus. She’s getting rid of the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center because—get this—other offices already do the same job. Why were we paying twice for the same work? The National Intelligence University is getting absorbed into the National Defense University. Same education, half the bureaucracy.
Divided Capitol Hill
The reactions in Congress are exactly what you’d expect. Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Tom Cotton gets it. He praised Gabbard for returning ODNI to what it was supposed to be—a lean operation, not another bloated mess.
Meanwhile, Virginia Senator Mark Warner is clutching his pearls. He says he has “no confidence” in Gabbard. Get this—he thinks she’s the one playing politics with intelligence. You can’t make this stuff up. The same guy who defended these agencies while they targeted conservatives is now crying because someone’s cleaning house.
And of course, anonymous “former intelligence officials” are running to friendly reporters. They’re whining about coordination problems. Really? These are the same geniuses who missed every major threat while they were too busy investigating soccer moms at school board meetings.
Here’s what really matters. These changes go way beyond just ODNI. Gabbard wants to cut $1.3 billion every year across all 18 spy agencies. She’s ending diversity hiring that put skin color over skills. Now they’ll hire based on merit. What a radical concept, right?
The consolidation makes sense too. They’re cutting redundant offices while actually improving border security. Local cops will finally get real intelligence about threats in their communities. That’s what these agencies should have been doing all along.
This isn’t just about saving money. Though saving $700 million is pretty sweet. It’s about fixing a system that forgot its purpose. For twenty years, these agencies grew and grew. They spied on Americans. They leaked to hurt Republicans. They ignored real threats while playing political games.
Gabbard’s bold moves prove something important. The Trump administration isn’t just talking about draining the swamp. They’re actually doing it. And the swamp creatures are squealing.
Key Takeaways
• Gabbard slashes intelligence bureaucracy by 40%, saving taxpayers $700+ million yearly
• Redundant offices used for political censorship are finally being eliminated
• Washington establishment’s fierce resistance proves these reforms threaten the swamp
• Merit-based hiring replaces diversity quotas in intelligence recruitment
