Trump loyalist's 'stunning' first day as spy chief floors CNN reporter

Several intelligence professionals were reassigned on Monday, in what CNN reporter Kristen Holmes described as a "pretty stunning" start to the reign of Bill Pulte, the new acting intelligence chief.

Holmes reported, citing sources who spoke to CNN, that Pulte had begun firing intelligence professionals on Monday, one of his first acts as acting director of national intelligence, a job he inherited from the agency's former director, Tulsi Gabbard. Holmes said she did not have information about how many people were let go or from which departments within the agency, but said that a source familiar with the firings said the "deep state firings had begun."

Holmes also uncovered some unusual information about Pulte's first day in office.

"He showed up for work a day earlier than his actual start date, and asked for a list of all of the employees, their names, what they did, because he wanted to start those massive layoffs," Holmes reported on CNN's "The Lead" with host Anderson Cooper.

"It is pretty stunning," she added. "One of the things we heard about Pulte from everybody who knew him was that he had a direct line to President Trump, that he was always at the White House and he was always calling President Trump ... So, it just goes to show you the relationship he has with President Trump."