President Donald Trump has publicly authorised his acting director of national intelligence, Bill Pulte, to declassify any records, including those related to the 2020 election, while a newly formed White House task force is collecting thousands of documents from US intelligence agencies. The move, confirmed by Trump to reporters on Wednesday, comes as Pulte, a political loyalist with no prior national security experience, serves in the role for what Trump described as “maybe a month or two months” pending the delayed confirmation of his permanent nominee, Jay Clayton.

According to White House officials, the effort reflects a commitment to transparency, with one anonymous official calling Trump “the most transparent president in history.” However, Democratic lawmakers and voting-rights advocates in Washington argue that the declassification push is designed to revive claims of election fraud that courts have repeatedly rejected, potentially undermining public confidence in the electoral process ahead of the November midterm elections. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the office of Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton have not commented on the president’s remarks.

Intelligence community veterans in Washington note that the broad declassification authority granted to a temporary appointee could expose sensitive sources and methods, particularly if redactions are limited as reported. Separately, the news outlet Zeteo reports that Trump has already indicated an intention to retain classified documents after leaving office, citing sources who say he has joked about keeping specific files. Viewed from European capitals, the developments signal a further erosion of norms governing the handling of state secrets, with potential repercussions for allied intelligence sharing.

Trump has long falsely claimed widespread fraud in the 2020 election, and his meeting this week with Tina Peters, a former Colorado elections clerk convicted of tampering with voting machines, underscores his continued focus on the issue. The White House task force reportedly includes conservative journalist John Solomon and retired Army Colonel Derek Harvey. The Senate has yet to schedule a confirmation hearing for Clayton, though a source familiar with the matter said Senator Cotton is “targeting” July 15. Until then, Pulte remains at the helm of the intelligence community, where he has already moved to cut hundreds of jobs.