CIA and FBI leaders are resisting Donald Trump's mandate that intelligence agencies compile a master list of every US spy and potential recruit, amid fears it endanger their own agents. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), led by Trump loyalist Bill Pulte, has in recent months spearheaded the grand spy list effort. ODNI was created in the aftermath of 9/11 to foster better communication among intel agencies. Trump wants the master list because officials claim it could used to better track foreign intelligence threats and avoid inadvertent conflicts when different agencies are working the same targets, according to the New York Times. The effort has been largely unsuccessful, as senior counterintelligence officials have refused to hand over their master lists amid disagreements over how such a database would be secured and maintained. For the FBI, such a master list of espionage targets would include those the bureau wants to investigate and potentially arrest down the line. For the CIA, it would include a significant number of potential individuals the agency hopes to recruit as assets.

Some current and former intelligence officials fear that putting identifying details on the most sensitive cases could fatally compromise long-running investigations and operations via a single leak. The identities of these targets are closely guarded national security secrets, insulated from most personnel within their own agencies. The Daily Mail has contacted ODNI for comment. The fight over the master list highlights the strained relationship between ODNI and the FBI and CIA following the departure of former ODNI director Tulsi Gabbard.

Pulte, a political appointee with no prior experience in national security, has continued pursuing the President's agenda by slashing the office's workforce and investigating allegations of election fraud during 2020. Outrage over Pulte's appointment as acting director despite his lack of experience has also fueled fears among agency officials about how ODNI would handle their most closely guarded secrets. Trump appointed Pulte as acting director rather than formally nominating him, sidestepping a Senate confirmation process where lawmakers had openly opposed him. The disagreement over the master list continues to play out behind closed doors as officials spar over how much, if anything, to hand over to ODNI.

Under Gabbard, the master list effort was part of her broader push for greater oversight across the intelligence community, according to former officials who spoke with the Times. Officials had hoped that Pulte would abandon the directive but it does not appear to be going away anytime soon despite internal disagreement. Supporters of the master list see it functioning like a terrorist watch list that enables the US to monitor targets across the globe in real time through constant information-sharing between agencies. But seasoned counterintelligence officials warn the program risks alerting the very people under investigation, especially trained foreign operatives skilled at spotting surveillance, according to current and former officials.