Overview
- Multiple outlets report Caldwell has been brought into the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to advise senior officials and help with the president’s daily intelligence briefing.
- An unnamed source says he completed a polygraph and passed background and security checks and is now in onboarding, while ODNI emphasized its standard, extensive vetting process.
- Caldwell was removed from the Pentagon in April 2025 in a leak probe, and the allegations have not been publicly substantiated as the Pentagon has not disclosed whether the investigation is finished.
- His hiring comes as internal strains intensify over Iran policy, highlighted by National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent’s resignation earlier Tuesday over opposition to the war.
- The move drew mixed reactions, with praise from Donald Trump Jr. and criticism from detractors who see a growing restraint faction inside ODNI under leaders such as Tulsi Gabbard and Will Ruger.