Newly appointed Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard isn’t wasting any time making changes. In line with President Trump’s executive order ending Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, Gabbard has ordered her department to eliminate all DEI initiatives—a move expected to save taxpayers nearly $20 million a year.
A senior intelligence official confirmed that this directive applies to all staff within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). But the cost-cutting doesn’t stop there.
Beyond DEI programs, Gabbard is also targeting wasteful spending on conferences and remote positions:
- Travel & Conferences: ODNI staff are now prohibited from attending any conference that isn’t essential to their mission or lacks “defined deliverables.” This alone is expected to save an additional $3 million annually.
- Remote Staff Review: A full audit of ODNI personnel stationed outside of Washington, D.C., is underway. If positions are found unnecessary to national security, they will be eliminated, saving taxpayers another $1 million per year.
Despite a contentious Senate confirmation, Gabbard has moved quickly. She traveled to Germany for the Munich Security Conference to discuss global security challenges and is now focused on overhauling the Intelligence Community (IC).
She’s also playing a key role in Trump’s broader peace agenda, working on negotiations to end the war in Ukraine and pushing for stability in the Middle East.
As she meets with ODNI staff this week, one thing is clear: Gabbard is shaking things up—and saving taxpayer dollars while doing it.
