When has the Senate ever not increased government spy powers? When President Trump installs Bill Pulte as acting DNI and instructs him to start kicking hornet nests, apparently.
In a WSJ interview published Friday, Trump revealed he has directed incoming acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte to begin the process of firing a large number of employees as part of a major shake-up of the U.S. intelligence community. Trump described the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) as “unnecessary and/or too big” and said he wants it made “much smaller” - and possibly even terminated.
“I’d like to see it smaller. I think there are a lot of people in there that shouldn’t be there,” Trump said, targeting holdovers from prior administrations. He told Pulte to “start the process” of firings, noting that Pulte’s acting status makes him “less shackled” and gives him more power in the short term to do the “hard work” of downsizing before a permanent director is confirmed. Trump compared the approach to Education Secretary Linda McMahon’s efforts to shrink her department.
This aggressive move comes as the Senate early Friday morning blocked a procedural motion to extend a key provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), in a 47-52 vote that saw seven Republicans join nearly all Democrats in opposition. The timing of Trump’s decision to name federal housing finance regulator Pulte as acting Director of National Intelligence played a central role in the backlash.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune acknowledged that "the naming of Pulte to that position, although the timing arguably wasn't the best," still should not derail such a critical national security measure according to AP. However, the backlash proved too strong.
Trump himself walked back the move on Thursday, saying Pulte would not be his permanent nominee for the role.
The blocked FISA provision would have extended warrantless collection of foreign-target communications (which can incidentally capture Americans’ data). The dramatic personnel and structural changes Trump is pushing through Pulte at this exact moment intensified opposition and contributed to the Senate’s inability to advance the extension before its June 12 expiration.
Thune indicated the Senate will try again next week, but any deal would still need 60 votes to advance - and the House has its own complications, including disagreements over a central bank digital currency provision.
Pulte's acting appointment, announced at a sensitive moment in FISA negotiations, provided opponents with leverage to slow the process and demand more accountability on both surveillance reform and leadership qualifications.
Tyler Durden Fri, 06/05/2026 - 17:20Authored by Evgenia Filimianova via The Epoch Times,
The United States has pledged additional emergency assistance to Bolivia as protests and road blockades deepen shortages of food, fuel, and medical supplies across the South American country.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz on June 4 and discussed efforts to address growing shortages caused by nationwide unrest.
“The Secretary noted the United States is ramping up emergency assistance and logistics operations support in Bolivia to help those facing acute food and medical shortages due to illegal roadblocks intended to destabilize Bolivian society,” U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said on June 4.
Pigott said Rubio reaffirmed “the United States’ unwavering commitment to support Bolivia’s democracy and the Paz Administration” as the country works through a political and economic crisis.
Paz’s government faces mounting pressure from labor unions, peasant groups, miners, and supporters of former Bolivian President Evo Morales, who have staged protests and road blockades across the country.
Blockades Disrupt SuppliesThe unrest began with a workers’ strike in May and later expanded into road blockades that cut off access to the neighboring cities of La Paz and El Alto, which together are home to about 2 million people.
Protesters are demanding that the government reverse austerity measures and address rising living costs.
Blockades organized by the federation of trade unions representing peasants and miners, the Bolivian Workers’ Central (COB), and other groups have depleted food supplies in La Paz and left hospitals struggling to obtain oxygen.
Women wearing traditional dress known as "cholitas" take part in a march calling for the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz, in La Paz, on May 22, 2026. Aizar Raldes / AFP via Getty Images
The demonstrations have also exposed broader economic tensions, with protesters calling for higher wages, improved fuel supplies, and access to additional mining areas. Public school teachers are separately negotiating for salary increases.
COB in a June 2 statement on Facebook called for Paz’s resignation and said his administration had failed to govern effectively.
The organization also demanded the release of detainees, an end to what it described as persecution against its leaders, and measures to guarantee fuel and food supplies, and called for a permanent state of emergency.
The Bolivian Highway Administration (ABC) reported 84 roadblocks nationwide on June 4, according to a June 5 report by Bolivian newspaper El Deber.
Government ActionsPaz has called for dialogue while also pursuing measures to reopen blocked roads.
On June 3, he appointed Ernesto Justiniano as defense minister following the departure of Marcelo Salinas, who stepped down on June 2.
“The immediate task is to restore normalcy: passable roads, supplies, medical care, work and peace,” Justiniano said after taking office.
Paz said in a June 3 post on X that Justiniano would help restore stability and improve conditions for Bolivians. The president said he had sent a bill to congress authorizing joint police and military operations to clear roads.
He accused some protesters of attempting to divide the country through “lies, violence, and blockades” while emphasizing his commitment to democracy and dialogue.
People line up to buy gasoline in plastic containers in the Calacoto neighborhood of southern La Paz, Bolivia, on June 2, 2026. Jorge Bernal / AFP via Getty Images
Paz also called for the creation of humanitarian corridors to allow food, medicine, and fuel to reach communities affected by the protests.
On June 4, he said his government remained willing to negotiate with protest groups.
“Today we took another step toward strengthening dialogue, a key tool for finding solutions to conflicts,” Paz wrote in a post on X after meeting with Vice President Edman Lara and congressional leaders.
“I repeat it, and I will continue to do so: we have every willingness to listen to and address the demands of the mobilized sectors.”
The crisis has become an early test for Paz, whose October 2025 election ended two decades of left-wing rule in Bolivia.
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz holds a press conference in La Paz, Bolivia, on May 20, 2026. Claudia Morales/Reuters
Paz, a member of the Christian Democratic Party, took office promising economic reforms and stronger action against corruption and drug trafficking. His government has argued that some demonstrations are politically motivated and designed to destabilize the administration.
Rubio said on May 20 that Washington stood firmly behind Bolivia’s constitutional government and would oppose any attempt by criminals or drug traffickers to remove democratically elected leaders from power.
Tyler Durden Fri, 06/05/2026 - 17:00