Director of National Intelligence USA

Template:Infobox official post

Director of National Intelligence(DNI) is a cabinet-level United States government intelligence and security official. The position is mandated by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 to serve as the executive head of the United States Intelligence Community (IC) and to direct and oversee the National Intelligence Program (NIP). All 18 IC agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the National Security Agency, report directly to the DNI. Other federal agencies with intelligence capabilities also report to the DNI, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) .

The DNI also serves as the principal advisor to the President of the United States, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council on all intelligence matters. The DNI, supported by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), produces the President's Daily Brief, a highly classified document including intelligence from all IC agencies, shared each morning with the President of the United States. The DNI, who is appointed by the President of the United States and is subject to confirmation by the United States Senate, serves at the pleasure of the President.

President George W. Bush strengthened the role of the DNI on 30 July 2008, with Executive Order 13470, which, among other things, solidified the DNI's legal authority to direct intelligence gathering and analysis, and to set policy for intelligence sharing with foreign agencies and for the hiring and firing of senior intelligence officials. The DNI was given further responsibility for the entire IC's whistleblowing and source protection by President Barack Obama via Presidential Policy Directive 19 on 10 October 2012 .

The position was elevated to a cabinet-level role during the first presidency of Donald Trump and retained this status in subsequent administrations. Currently, the DNI attends all cabinet meetings and liaises with the executive office of the President and other Cabinet secretaries in the execution of their duties. President Donald Trump nominated Tulsi Gabbard to the position in 2025, and she was subsequently confirmed by the US Senate on 12 February 2025.

On 22 May 2026, Gabbard resigned from the role as DNI to care for her husband, effective 19 June 2026.

History

Creation

Prior to the creation of the DNI, the leadership of the United States Intelligence Community was vested in the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI), an individual who also held the position of Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

The establishment of the DNI position was a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission, as detailed in its final report released on 22 July 2004. The Commission's report highlighted significant intelligence failures that had exposed vulnerabilities in protecting the nation from foreign terrorist threats.

The legislative foundation for the DNI was laid on 19 June 2002, when Senators Dianne Feinstein, Jay Rockefeller, and Bob Graham introduced S. 2645, a bill to create the position of Director of National Intelligence. This initiative was followed by other similar proposals, prompting extensive congressional debate over the appropriate scope of the DNI's powers and authorities. Congress ultimately passed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act, which passed the House by a vote of 336–75 and the Senate by a vote of 89–2. President George W. Bush signed the act into law on 17 December 2004. Among its key provisions, the law established the DNI as the designated leader of the United States Intelligence Community, while simultaneously prohibiting the DNI from concurrently serving as the CIA Director or the head of any other intelligence community element. Furthermore, it mandated that the CIA Director report the agency's activities to the DNI.

However, the final legislation faced criticism for being a product of political compromise, resulting in a DNI whose authority was perceived as insufficient to effectively lead, manage, and enhance the performance of the intelligence community. A key point of contention was that the law left the United States Department of Defence in direct control of several critical agencies, including the National Security Agency (NSA), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA).

Statutory requirements for the DNI are defined in 50 U.S.C. § 3026. The law states that, "under ordinary circumstances," it is desirable for either the DNI or the Principal Deputy DNI to be an active-duty commissioned officer in the armed forces, or to possess training and experience in military intelligence activities and requirements. The statute further stipulates that only one of these two senior positions may be held by a military officer at any given time. However, the law does not specify what rank the commissioned officer will hold during their tenure in either role.