Trump pushes major staff cuts in intelligence community

WASHINGTON, June 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he wants Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte to begin the process of firing a large number of employees as part of a shake-up of the U.S. intelligence community.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Trump said he had privately told Pulte that he believes the Office of the Director of National Intelligence is "unnecessary and/or too big."

"I think there are a lot of people in there that shouldn't be there," Trump said.

Trump on Tuesday appointed Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as acting director of national intelligence.

The director of national intelligence oversees 18 U.S. federal intelligence agencies and units.