All articles tagged with #intelligence community
Tulsi Gabbard resigns as the US director of national intelligence, effective June 30, citing her husband’s bone cancer diagnosis and a desire to support him. Aaron Lukas will serve as acting DNI. Trump called her service outstanding, and Gabbard, a Trump ally, led coordination across intelligence agencies as US actions continued in Iran, Cuba, and Venezuela.
Amid a China summit and rising AI competition, the Trump administration is split over shifting AI model testing to the intelligence community, proposing a large ODNI center to vet models while Commerce argues for its own voluntary testing program, fueling a broader fight over mandatory versus voluntary oversight and signaling potential executive action on AI security.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has sent criminal referrals to the DOJ regarding a former intelligence community inspector general and a whistleblower whose complaint helped trigger Trump’s 2019 impeachment, renewing scrutiny of the case.
POLITICO reports that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence is finalizing a plan to make In-Q-Tel, the CIA-backed venture fund, overseen by ODNI under Tulsi Gabbard. If approved, the shift would move oversight from the CIA to Gabbard’s ODNI, potentially triggering opposition from CIA leaders and some lawmakers while garnering support for tighter cross-agency tech development; passage would require congressional backing amid mixed views on ODNI’s role and Gabbard’s influence.
The Bulwark's Will Saletan argues that Tulsi Gabbard, appointed by Donald Trump as director of national intelligence, has shifted from evidence-based threat assessment to claiming only the president can declare imminent threats, contrasting her past cautions on North Korea and the Soleimani strike with a 2025 stance that aligned with Trump’s Iran-war narrative and her later public acquiescence to presidential decision-making, a move the piece frames as a step toward autocracy.
Tulsi Gabbard testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee about the Iran war, largely toeing the White House’s line while avoiding a direct endorsement, as Democrats pressed on whether Iran posed an imminent threat and questioned inconsistencies between her statements and prior writings; the hearing also touched on her ties to an aide who resigned over the operation and broader intelligence warnings regarding elections and national security.
At a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, Tulsi Gabbard said only the president can determine what counts as an imminent threat, arguing that the intelligence community provides inputs rather than deciding threats; the exchange occurs amid U.S. action on Iran and broader debates sparked by Joe Kent’s resignation.
An intelligence official accuses Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard of illegally delaying the whistleblower complaint's transmission to Congress; Gabbard's office says the complaint was shared with intelligence committees and that there was no wrongdoing, while officials discuss security guidance and timing.
Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence, revoked security clearances of at least 37 current and former officials, citing politicization and unprofessional conduct, amid ongoing disputes over Russia's 2016 election interference and efforts to discredit the intelligence community. Critics argue the move is politically motivated and undermines established laws.
Tulsi Gabbard released documents claiming a conspiracy by Obama officials to manufacture Russia interference in the 2016 election, but reviews and investigations show her claims are misleading and do not contradict the established conclusion that Russia interfered to help Trump, with no evidence of vote tampering or election outcome alteration.
Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman and recent supporter of Donald Trump, is expected to face significant opposition in the Senate during her confirmation as the next director of national intelligence. Concerns about her lack of intelligence experience, views on Russia and Syria, and foreign travel are likely to be focal points during the vetting process. Despite holding a high-level security clearance from her military service, her nomination is seen as contentious, with some insiders doubting she has the necessary votes for approval.
Nearly 100 former national security officials have expressed concerns over President-elect Trump's nomination of Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence, urging Senate leaders to hold closed-door hearings. The officials cite Gabbard's controversial 2017 trip to Syria and her sympathetic stance towards leaders like Assad and Putin as reasons to question her ability to provide unbiased intelligence. They also note her lack of experience for the role, which oversees 18 agencies including the CIA and FBI.
Donald Trump's selection of Tulsi Gabbard as the Director of National Intelligence has sparked controversy due to her lack of experience in the intelligence community and her strong anti-surveillance stance. Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman who recently joined the Republican Party, has been a vocal supporter of whistleblowers like Edward Snowden and Julian Assange, and has introduced legislation to limit government surveillance powers. Her views have drawn criticism from both sides of the political spectrum, with concerns about her alignment with foreign adversaries and her potential impact on U.S. intelligence operations.
Senator-elect Elissa Slotkin expressed concerns about President-elect Donald Trump's national security Cabinet picks, emphasizing the need for appointees to prioritize objective intelligence over political preferences. Slotkin, a former CIA officer, highlighted the importance of "speaking truth to power" and criticized potential nominees like Pete Hegseth and Tulsi Gabbard for possibly aligning too closely with Trump's views. She also noted concerns within the Pentagon about Hegseth's past comments on women in combat roles and his stance on diversity efforts. Slotkin, however, was more optimistic about Marco Rubio's nomination for Secretary of State.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) criticized President-elect Trump's nomination of Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence, citing concerns over Gabbard's qualifications and her alignment with Russian narratives. Spanberger, a former CIA officer, urged Republicans to oppose the nomination, highlighting Gabbard's controversial past statements and actions, including her meeting with Syrian leader Bashar Assad and her stance on U.S. involvement in Ukraine. Gabbard, a former Democrat who became a Republican, faces significant opposition from lawmakers and national security officials.