Trump moves to slash intelligence office ahead of permanent chief’s arrival
President Donald Trump said he wants soon-to-be acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte to begin shrinking the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) before a permanent nominee takes over — signaling a potentially aggressive effort to reduce the size of the agency responsible for coordinating the nation’s intelligence community. Trump told The Wall Street Journal that he has privately instructed Pulte to begin what he described as a broader effort to streamline ODNI, calling the office “unnecessary and/or too big” and saying he wants the acting intelligence chief to “start the process” of reducing personnel before a permanent director is confirmed. “I’d like to see it smaller. I think there are a lot of people in there that shouldn’t be there,” Trump said, pointing to holdovers from the Obama and Biden administrations. Asked whether he wants Pulte to fire employees, Trump said he wants the acting intelligence chief to “start the process,” adding that his eventual nominee to permanently lead the office should continue that work. TRUMP NAMES BILL PULTE ACTING DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard abruptly announced her resignation May 22, effective June 30, citing her husband’s bone cancer diagnosis. The president named Pulte, who currently serves as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to the acting role in early June. Because the position is temporary, Pulte does not require Senate confirmation and can serve for up to 210 days. Trump suggested Pulte’s acting status could make it easier for him to carry out changes before a permanent director is confirmed. “You’re less shackled,” Trump said. “It sort of gives you more power, you know, for a somewhat limited period of time.” The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions on whether Pulte would be put up for confirmation as permanent director of national intelligence. SENATE PUSH TO REAUTHORIZE NATION’S SPY POWERS STUMBLES OVER CONTROVERSIAL TRUMP DECISION “Frankly, it might be good for him to shake it up before people come,” Trump added. “Because, if he reduced the size, in conjunction with me … and in conjunction with possibly the person coming in … he can do a lot of the hard work and we wouldn’t have to saddle somebody that goes in.” Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton quickly endorsed the effort, arguing the office has expanded beyond its original purpose and renewing his longstanding support for dramatically downsizing — or even eliminating — the office. “President Trump is right: the ODNI has grown far beyond its original mandate,” Cotton wrote on X. “I’ve long advocated for downsizing, if not outright eliminating, this bureaucracy.” TOM COTTON SLAMS ‘PARTISANS AND OBSTRUCTIONISTS’ IN DOD REPORTEDLY PLOTTING TO BLOCK TRUMP PLANS “Time to return these officers back to their home agencies to focus on actual intelligence work. I support President Trump in this effort.” ODNI was established in 2004 following recommendations from the 9/11 Commission and was designed to improve coordination among U.S. intelligence agencies after failures to share critical information ahead of the terrorist attacks. The office oversees and coordinates the work of the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies and components. Cotton has long been among lawmakers who argue the agency has grown beyond its original mission. Earlier in 2026, he introduced legislation that would cap ODNI at 650 employees. The office had roughly 1,800 employees at the start of the second Trump administration, though outgoing Director of National Intelligence Gabbard has said she reduced the workforce by about 25%. Trump’s latest comments suggest the administration could pursue a more far-reaching restructuring effort than previously outlined — and that Pulte may be tasked with beginning that process before a permanent nominee is in place. The president’s selection of Pulte as acting DNI surprised many lawmakers and national security observers because the Federal Housing Finance Agency director has no intelligence or national security background. Former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell raised concerns about the appointment shortly after it was announced. “Anyone performing this role of such immense public trust must have the extensive national security experience required by statute, and no nominee who falls short of this requirement will earn my vote,” McConnell said. “Trump thinks that Bill Pulte can be both director of the mortgage regulators and director of national intelligence,” Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said in a video posted to X. “You can’t do both jobs … this is outrageous.” Trump, however, has suggested that Pulte’s temporary status is precisely what makes him well-suited to carry out the administration’s plans for the office. The president said he hopes Pulte can begin reducing the size of ODNI before a permanent nominee takes over, allowing the acting chief to complete much of the “hard work” associated with the effort.
GOP victor in CA House primary cites major momentum shift in deep blue state: ‘Californians are tired’
Republican congressional candidate and CAL DOGE Director Jenny Rae Le Roux says pushback on decades of Democratic control is fueling a political shift in deep-blue California, which was on display Tuesday with strong performances by gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton and LA mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt. “Californians are tired of one-party rule,” Le Roux told Fox News Digital after her Tuesday night primary victory that sent her into a head-to-head match up with incumbent Democrat Dave Min in California’s 47th Congressional District. “They know that the reason we’re suffering in this state and people are leaving California is because Democrats have been in charge for 60 years, and they’re up to no good.” Le Roux argues that Min has not done enough to represent people across the district, saying her campaign has “already started doing the job that he’s not doing.” CALIFORNIANS EXPERIENCING A ‘RED SHIFT’ OF LOCAL DEMOCRATS BECOMING REPUBLICANS AMID MIGRANT CRISIS, CRIME “It’s just to do the thing that Dave Min is not doing, which is to represent the district,” she said. “We are out in every community. We have a precinct-by-precinct operation. Anyone who wants to meet with us, we will meet with them.” Le Roux said residents unable to get answers from Min’s office on fraud, veterans’ concerns or housing issues are turning to Republicans like her for help. “People are frustrated by his office,” she said. “They’re not responsive. They ask us for help with fraud issues, issues with HUD and veterans’ issues, and we’re making calls and getting things done for the people in the district.” In a statement to Fox News Digital, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Anna Elsasser defended Min, saying his office has helped constituents recover over $5 million from federal agencies. “Jenny Rae Le Roux’s lame attacks reflect both a lack of familiarity with Dave Min’s office, which has brought back over $5.7 million to constituents, and with the issues that Orange County families care about,” Elsasser said. The Cook Political Report ranks the race between Min and Le Roux as “Solid D” as Republicans try to hold onto their razor-thin margin in the House. Democrats’ decades-long control of California has come under scrutiny as the Trump administration investigates alleged fraud involving healthcare, homelessness spending and nonprofit groups, issues Le Roux says are driving residents out of the state and pushing voters toward Republicans. HOUSE COMMITTEE LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO ‘RAMPANT’ CALIFORNIA HOSPICE FRAUD Last month, federal officials suspended 800 California hospice and home health providers in a Medicare fraud crackdown tied to foreign-linked criminal networks accused of stealing more than $1 billion from taxpayers. Le Roux said her team at CAL DOGE, a private-sector initiative founded by Hilton, is uncovering more fraud in the state and “taking down not just the systems, but actually each one of the criminals that are going to be indicted over the course of the next six months.” SCOOP: DEMOCRATIC VIRGINIA GOV SPANBERGER’S REPUBLICAN COUSIN AIMS TO FLIP KEY CALIFORNIA HOUSE SEAT RED “We’re finding the fraud that’s happening through Sacramento,” she said. “They’ve been completely silent about it. They haven’t fought it themselves because they’re in on it.” Since launching in early 2026, CAL DOGE says it has uncovered nearly $700 million in misused taxpayer funds. Le Roux said she will continue working with Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton to root out fraud. “We’ve got some fraud-fighting on our hands, and I’ll work with Steve up and down the state to make sure our money is being spent wisely before either one of us is in office,” Le Roux said. Despite her criticism of Democrats, Le Roux said “it’s really important to keep relationships with people in other parties.” Le Roux is the cousin of Virginia Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger, and she told Fox News Digital the two “faithfully messaged each other after campaigns” and despite having “completely different opinions,” we “really love each other.”
Delaney Hall snack purchases cast doubt on hunger strike reports, DHS says
EXCLUSIVE: Revenue figures from the Delaney Hall ICE detention center’s commissary may undercut Democrats’ claims that a reported “hunger strike” is rippling through the Newark facility, as commissary spending surged during the reported strike period. A slew of Democrats have toured the facility and reported allegedly dire conditions and rotten food, but a source familiar with Delaney Hall’s operations disputed their claims. The source said Delaney Hall’s commissary — where inmates can purchase snacks and sundries — saw its revenue triple during the time period characterized by a hunger strike. When asked about the claim, the Department of Homeland Security backed it up and shared revenue data with Fox News Digital that supported the argument that detainees continued purchasing substantial amounts of food from the commissary during the reported hunger strike period. DAVID MARCUS: 5 BLATANT LIES DEMOCRATS ARE SPREADING ABOUT DELANEY HALL AND ICE Regional news outlets like Gothamist reported that men housed at Delaney Hall had begun a hunger and labor strike around May 23. Soon after, Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., went to the center, echoed those reports and was later caught in pepper-spray crossfire when outside agitators sparred with ICE agents guarding the entrance. Other lawmakers like Reps. Robert Menendez Jr. and Bonnie Watson-Coleman, D-N.J., made similar assertions. On Thursday, a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital the claims have been a “hoax” and provided data that lined up with what the source familiar had said. On May 26, Delaney Hall housed 724 individuals and its commissary took in $11,498 in revenue for the prior week. As the hunger strike period progressed, that number shot up week over week. FOX NEWS GOES INSIDE NEW JERSEY ICE FACILITY STORMED BY DEMOCRATS On June 1, the population inside had decreased to 621, but the commissary recorded weekly sales topping $30,000. Despite a 14% drop in detainee population, commissary revenue nearly tripled, and DHS officials suggested that detainees involved in the “strike” were instead eschewing their scheduled meals in exchange for snacks. “The hunger strike hoax was actually just Delaney Hall detainees trading nutritious meals for Honey Buns and Hot Cheetos,” Deputy Press Secretary Lauren Bis said. “It’s time for sanctuary politicians to drop the political theater and work with us to get criminal illegal aliens out of our communities.” Bis was backed up by her boss, Secretary Markwayne Mullin, who testified before Congress that much of the dispute stemmed from inmates balking at Americanized fare that did not match foods from their home countries. Mullin quipped that Delaney Hall is not intended to be a “Holiday Inn.” ANTI-ICE PROTESTERS CLASH WITH AGENTS OUTSIDE NEW JERSEY DETENTION CENTER AS GOV. SHERRILL DENIED ENTRY A commissary menu provided by DHS showed scores of items inmates are able to purchase, including lotions, birthday cards, Cheetos, summer sausage and Hawaiian Punch. Characterizations of the facility’s conditions were also less pointed this week after Rep. Herb Conaway Jr., D-N.J., discussed his Wednesday tour with neighboring Rep. Donald Norcross, D-N.J. Conaway, who represents Kim’s former Burlington County district, said in a statement he was “horrified and outraged” by reports of inhumane conditions and alleged lack of due process. Conaway — who is a physician — said he and Norcross toured the mess hall and infirmary, and while he demanded ICE shut the facility down until Trenton officials can conduct a formal inspection and review, he did not witness “major concerns” during the visit. “I had the opportunity, along with Congressman Norcross, to meet with about 20 women. Some have been here for over a year. Others have been a certain several months. Many of them had concerns, a lot of concerns. Some regarding their health. Most had family members, children; loved ones outside of this facility and certainly they miss them very deeply and want to get back to their lives,” Conaway said in a separate recorded statement outside the gate. “It’s critical that the appropriate state authorities get into this building and get into this right away, do their job, and then let the public understand what’s going on. I think that’ll be better for everybody if that’s done.” Last week, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., joined other lawmakers on a separate tour and offered a different assessment: Nadler began speaking out against conditions at the center before he even reached the microphone, alleging the “food is very sparse” and that inmates eat only at 4 a.m., noon and 4 p.m. “And very often, they eat maggots in the food,” he said, making an allegation denied by DHS officials. He also claimed medical services were limited and that inmates were waiting a long time for treatment, an allegation protesters also shouted at ICE agents later in the day. However, ambulances from a local Newark hospital regularly arrived throughout the day on Wednesday and Thursday, appearing to contradict claims that detainees were not receiving treatment. With lawmakers like Nadler alleging sparse food and unsanitary conditions, DHS officials argued that the commissary figures undercut claims that detainees were broadly refusing food during the reported hunger strike.
WATCH: Hawley fumes after 4 GOP senators help sink Trump-backed voter ID law
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., criticized four fellow Republicans who joined Democrats to block an effort to add the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act to the Senate’s reconciliation package, saying “you can’t explain it to me why you wouldn’t vote for voter ID.” During Thursday’s vote-a-rama, Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., voted with Democrats to defeat an amendment that would have attached the election-integrity measure to the GOP’s budget package. “I guess it’s frustration,” Hawley told Fox News Digital. “Listen, we’ve been doing this in Missouri for years. I mean voters in my state put it in our constitution.” FOUR SENATE REPUBLICANS AGAIN UNITE WITH DEMS TO BLOCK TRUMP’S SAVE AMERICA ACT “Voter ID is the most popular thing out there,” he continued. “There’s a reason for that. People want their elections to be safe, they want them to be fair. And to me, you can’t explain it to me, why you wouldn’t vote for voter ID. I just don’t understand it.” Republicans, yet again, failed to pass the legislation Thursday night through the Senate, despite months debating the importance of attaching it to the roughly $70 billion budget reconciliation package to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol. REPUBLICANS FAIL TO ATTACH SAVE AMERICA ACT TO PARTY-LINE FUNDING PACKAGE Many senators who voted to block the SAVE act argued that a bill dedicated to voter ID laws and protecting election integrity should be determined at state-level, and should not have federal jurisdiction. Hawley rejected arguments that election rules should be left solely to the states, arguing Congress has long played a role in regulating federal elections. “We make federal rules all the time for elections, you know,” Hawley said. “I mean all the time we do. And there’s nothing more basic than protecting the integrity of the ballot and that’s what this is about.” PENCE URGES SENATE TO ‘RESTORE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE’ WITH NATIONWIDE VOTER ID LAW Congress has enacted numerous election-related laws over the years, including the bipartisan Electoral Count Reform Act of 2022, which revised procedures for certifying presidential election results. The SAVE Act would require applicants to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections and would require voters to present photo identification when casting a ballot in federal elections. “37 states have voter ID already including several blue states,” Hawley said in response to the idea that election rules should be left to the state. “So I think this idea that this is like ‘this is weird, this is exotic, this is out there,’ no it’s not. Like most of our states do it.” “Sooner or later this is going to happen because I think the American people are going to demand it.”
WATCH: Maine voters divided on Platner as scandals shadow Democratic primary
MAINE — A new round of explosive allegations has put Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner back in the spotlight ahead of Tuesday’s primary, but voters who spoke to Fox News Digital were split on whether the scandals would affect their vote. “It’s not a good situation,” said Jeff from Waterloo, Maine, one of the residents interviewed outside a shopping plaza in Biddeford, adding that choosing the “lowest common denominator” should not be the answer. “I am a conservative, but he’s just got so much baggage that I think if the Democrats want to have a winner, they’re going to have to find somebody else because he’s not the guy, just too much,” he said. ‘HE HATED WOMEN’: EXPLOSIVE ABUSE, NEW NAZI TATTOO ALLEGATIONS FROM EXES ROCK PLATNER’S CAMPAIGN Sheila from Harrison, Maine, said the scandals would “absolutely” weigh on her vote. She said Platner lacks the judgment and values she expects from someone serving in Congress. “Anyone who’s representing our country or representing us in Congress needs to be held to a higher standard, and I don’t think he’s got any standards,” she said. Just days before Maine’s Democratic Senate primary, former girlfriends told The New York Times that Platner engaged in heavy drinking, experienced violent episodes and discussed rape fantasies, accusations Platner has denied. DEMOCRATIC MAINE SENATE CANDIDATE GRAHAM PLATNER CONFRONTED BY MS NOW HOST ABOUT TATTOO CONTROVERSY The Marine Corps veteran also faced criticism over a string of controversies, including reports that he sent sexually explicit messages to younger women, a Nazi-linked tattoo and online comments mocking a Purple Heart veteran. While some voters said Platner raised red flags, others remained unfazed. Asked whether Platner’s comments about women bothered her, Ellen from Acton, Maine, said, “When it comes to my vote, no.” SENATE CANDIDATE GRAHAM PLATNER SENT EXPLICIT TEXTS TO MULTIPLE WOMEN WHILE MARRIED, WIFE SAYS: REPORT “I trust his wife,” she said. “She knows him better than anybody. He is far from perfect. Most of this, my understanding, happened during a tough time in his life. The recent accusations, yes, they’re more recent, but again, I trust her to know who he is morally. “I do think that, as a representative of Maine, aside from what he may do in his marriage, he’s going to do a good job for me,” she added. Jane from Wells, Maine, said her plans to vote for Platner haven’t changed. “I still like him,” she said. “Oh yes. I love him.” Jessica from Biddeford, Maine, said she was not following the controversy surrounding Platner because she ignores the news, arguing that the media distracts people from “the issues that are important.” “We’re better together as one instead of fighting each other over things that don’t matter,” she said. Platner will appear on the ballot alongside David Costello and Janet Mills in Maine’s Democratic Senate primary on June 9, with the winner advancing to face incumbent five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins in November.
Trump hails jobs surge, says Iran talks ‘going well’
NewsFeed US President Donald Trump hailed stronger-than-expected jobs growth before pivoting to Iran, saying negotiations with Tehran “seem to be going quite well”. Trump offered no further details on the talks as he arrived in Wisconsin for an agriculture event. Published On 5 Jun 20265 Jun 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Cobolli into final as virus-struck Arnaldi pulls out of French Open
Published On 5 Jun 20265 Jun 2026 Italy’s Flavio Cobolli said he was “sad and happy at the same time” after reaching his first Grand Slam final at the French Open on Friday, following the last-minute withdrawal due to illness of his last-four opponent and compatriot Matteo Arnaldi. The 24-year-old 10th seed will meet Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final, which will produce a new major champion, after the German second seed earlier moved past Jakub Mensik in the other semi-final. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Just more than 20 minutes before Cobolli and Arnaldi were due to take to Court Philippe Chatrier, tournament organisers announced that the 104th-ranked Italian had been forced to pull out with a “virus”. “When he came to me almost one hour ago, I almost cried. You know, it’s something that you don’t expect at all. I was ready to play this match,” Cobolli told reporters during a news conference he held with his close friend Arnaldi, as the pair sat three metres (10 feet) apart. “When he came, I was completely sad for him. But, at the same time, of course, I’m really happy for the result that I reached this week. “Yeah, now I’m sad and happy at the same time.” For first-time major semifinalist Arnaldi, withdrawing was “not something that you wish to anybody”, but “the right decision for me to take”. “It’s tough, because for how the tournament was, for how many hours I’ve been on the court, I was feeling actually very good,” Arnaldi, who had spent the most amount of time on court for a player en route to a Grand Slam semifinal, said. The 25-year-old added that, on Thursday, he was “feeling OK” during practice, but after his dinner, he began to feel unwell during the night. Advertisement “I started to feel so-so with my stomach. I was, like, ‘All right, just didn’t digest very well,’” he recounted. “But then I woke up at 1:00am, and I started vomiting, and I wasn’t feeling the best. Then I tried to sleep. I couldn’t sleep at all. At 6:00, 7:00am, I vomited again. “We called the doctor into the room. He came, gave me some stuff. I was hoping that it would just be something from dinner or something like that, but then throughout the day, I couldn’t eat. Every time we did something or would drink, I would go back to the bathroom.” Despite his best efforts, his state worsened throughout the day. “I tried to get ready and tried to stay as much as I could here and tried to see if I could go on court, but every time I get up, I feel dizzy,” Arnaldi said. “It’s a virus, I think, because I was feeling pretty cold. I think I had a fever, like, during the day. I don’t know, to be honest. “I just know that I can’t move, and I can’t eat, and I can’t drink. So, there was really no way that I will be able to play.” Cobolli paid tribute to a tearful Arnaldi. “Matteo is a big inspiration for all of us. He’s an amazing player and amazing professional,” Cobolli said. “He’s, I think, the best person outside the court for how his match preparation, focus, cool-down. He’s one of the best on the tour, for sure.” After the conference, Cobolli took to centre court to have a hit watched on by a decent smattering of spectators that had come for the match but stayed to see the world number 14 keep his eye in. After his quarterfinal victory over Canadian fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime on Wednesday, Cobolli will go into the weekend’s final with plenty of rest. “Maybe having almost four days off is a lot, so you lose the rhythm,” he said. “Now, I got practice again. I think I will be ready, for sure, for the final, but I also know that I will be fresh, for sure. “Maybe [the extra time off] will help; maybe not. I’ll tell you after the final.” Adblock test (Why?)
Zelenskyy: Putin choosing war by rejecting offer for in-person talks
NewsFeed Russian President Vladimir Putin has turned down an offer for in-person talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying he sees no point in meeting. Zelenskyy said Russia “has again chosen war” by rejecting his open letter appealing for a face-to-face meeting. Published On 5 Jun 20265 Jun 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
4.3 magnitude earthquake jolts Punjab, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh
Earthquake tremors measuring 4.3 on the Richter scale shook Punjab, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh Friday night. The epicentre was near Dharamshala.
TMC internal crisis deepens: Only eight MLAs attend key meeting at Mamata Banerjee’s Kolkata residence
Trinamool Congress is facing a deepening internal crisis as only eight MLAs attended a key National Working Committee meeting at Mamata Banerjee’s residence.