The create cut at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is one of the deepest personnel cuts Trump administration hopes to implement. This step is the latest in a complete strategy to shrink major federal agencies. According to recent news accounts, the administration’s plan will cut a number of U.S. spy agencies, including the CIA. These cuts will play out over several years.
In February, the CIA launched a multi-million dollar buyout program to entice certain employees to leave the agency voluntarily. This announcement is the latest step in a strategic plan to get to a drastically smaller workforce while avoiding broad swath layoffs. Rather, the CIA intends to meet the bulk of its staffing cuts through a hiring slowdown.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who took office in January, has previously informed lawmakers about the agency’s plans under his leadership. Most importantly, he focused all of his efforts on aligning the CIA’s workforce with the national security priorities as defined by the current administration.
“[The CIA] is moving swiftly to ensure the CIA workforce is responsive to the administration’s national security priorities,” a CIA spokesperson stated. This funding commitment reflects the agency’s desire to continue to be an outsized force for good in an increasingly competitive geopolitical environment.
In March, the CIA stated it would end the careers of an undisclosed number of junior officers as part of these reductions. These actions reflect Ratcliffe’s vision for the agency: “These moves are part of a holistic strategy to infuse the agency with renewed energy, provide opportunities for rising leaders to emerge, and better position CIA to deliver on its mission,” he added.
Ratcliffe has articulated a clear mandate for the agency moving forward: “We will collect intelligence, especially human intelligence, in every corner of the globe, no matter how dark or difficult.” His goal, he says, is to make sure that the CIA is in the business of always producing penetrating, objective, all-source analysis. He is adamant about keeping political or personal preferences from clouding judgment—or impacting their product.
As the agency prepares for monumental paradigm shifts. Ratcliffe is pushing his employees to get ready for a transformative next few years. He continued, “If this resonates with the work that you’re actually intending to do, then get excited, roll up your sleeves and prepare to make an impact. If it doesn’t, well then it may be time to look elsewhere.”
