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The CIA is preparing to shrink its workforce by more than 1,000 positions as part of a broader Trump administration effort to streamline the federal government and align intelligence operations with shifting national security priorities.
Some shit you should know before you read: Since President Trump’s return to office, he has issued directives calling on federal agencies to significantly reduce their staffing levels as part of a campaign to shrink the size and scope of the federal government. Departments such as the US Agency for International Development (USAID) have faced near-total restructuring, with programs slashed and entire operational units dismantled. The Department of Education, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and parts of the State Department have also enacted targeted workforce reductions, often through hiring freezes, early retirements, and voluntary buyouts. The Trump administration argues these cuts are necessary to eliminate bureaucratic bloat, reduce federal spending, and reorient government agencies toward what it calls “core constitutional functions.” To the contrary, critics say the cuts are ideologically driven, weaken America’s global footprint, and risk hollowing out institutions meant to serve long-term national interests.
What’s going on now: In a notable development, the CIA is expected to cut between 1,000 and 1,200 positions over the next few years, relying primarily on staff reductions through early retirements, voluntary resignations, and a scaling back on new hiring. While the agency has not officially confirmed exact figures, sources familiar with internal planning told The Washington Post and NBC News that the goal is to reshape the workforce to better align with the administration’s national security priorities.
Back in March, the CIA terminated approximately 80 junior officers—many of whom had been recently hired—citing the need to redirect resources. Earlier in February, the agency offered buyouts to hundreds of staffers.
The reductions are not isolated to the CIA. The National Security Agency (NSA), which falls under the Department of Defense, has also implemented workforce cuts. According to statements made by DNI Gabbard during a Cabinet meeting, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has also seen its staffing drop by approximately 25% since February.
This all comes as US intel reports back in March revealed that foreign intelligence agencies—particularly from Russia and China—have launched active efforts to recruit recently dismissed or vulnerable US intelligence employees. According to an assessment by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), foreign governments have been targeting ex-employees with security clearances through LinkedIn, TikTok, Reddit, and even fake job postings. The report stated with “high confidence” that foreign actors were aggressively seeking access to classified knowledge by preying on former staff with inside knowledge of US operations.
