AXIOS (Marc Caputo) - Scoop: Pulte sought Gabbard's early removal as intel czar
Tulsi Gabbard , the outgoing director of national intelligence, got an unexpected call Tuesday from her controversial successor, Bill Pulte : "Today is your last day," he said. - Gabbard was surprised. She had announced she was leaving at month's end, not Tuesday. - "I need to hear it from the president or the White House," Gabbard told Pulte, two officials briefed on the discussion told Axios. Why it matters: The call, unreported until now, was the latest flashpoint in the intelligence wars that erupted last week in D.C. after President Trump picked Pulte as Gabbard's temporary replacement. - After the conversation with Pulte, Gabbard got ahold of Trump, who didn't request her immediate resignation. "What day works best for you?" the…