Does anyone wonder why Trump wanted to pull Jay Clayton’s name from nomination without cluing in any Republicans as to what he was doing?

Workforce cuts at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence began Monday, after acting Director Bill Pulte was directed to “execute the immediate and needed downsizing of the office” and return some personnel to their home agencies.

In a letter sent to Pulte on Monday, Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner and the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Jim Himes, expressed concern over reports that hundreds of employees could be fired or placed on leave, arguing that major reductions could weaken an office created after the Sept. 11 attacks to improve intelligence coordination and guard against future national security threats.

“Given your lack of experience within the Intelligence Community, it is difficult to imagine that in such a short amount of time you have already developed fully-informed views as to how to shrink ODNI without incurring risks to national security,” the letter said. “Making significant structural changes to ODNI, to include a reduction in force, is not an appropriate course of action for anyone in an acting capacity, let alone without consultation with Congress, and you should refrain from doing so.”

Full letter: democrats-intelligence.…