The Justice Department announced the formation of a new &#8220;strike force&#8221; on Wednesday that would be tasked with evaluating and assessing the evidence — compiled by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard — relating to former President Barack Obama and his administration&#8217;s efforts to drive the Trump-Russia Collusion narrative.
According to a press release, the Justice Department intended to explore what legal steps should be taken once the evidence had been evaluated — and would be working alongside Gabbard to ensure that nothing was missed.
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— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1948133928344125813?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The press release, which came from the office of Attorney General Pam Bondi, read as follows:
<blockquote>Today, the Department of Justice announced the formation of a Strike Force to assess the evidence publicized by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and investigate potential next legal steps which might stem from DNI Gabbard’s disclosures.
This Department takes alleged weaponization of the intelligence community with the utmost seriousness.</blockquote>
Bondi added her own comment as well, saying, &#8220;The Department of Justice is proud to work with my friend Director Gabbard and we are grateful for her partnership in delivering accountability for the American people. We will investigate these troubling disclosures fully and leave no stone unturned to deliver justice.&#8221;
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dem-senators-russia-hoax-investigator-is-top-lawyer-at-trumps-national-security-agency?author=Luke+Rosiak&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=32&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Democrat+Russia+Hoax+Investigator+Is+Now+Top+Lawyer+At+Trump%E2%80%99s+National+Security+Agency">Democrat Russia Hoax Investigator Is Now Top Lawyer At Trump&#8217;s National Security Agency</a>
After dropping an initial trove of documents earlier in the week, Gabbard announced on Wednesday that a House Intelligence Committee related to the matter had been declassified and released to the public. That report, she said, offered even more evidence that several key figures within former President Obama&#8217;s administration had actively colluded to manufacture the chosen narrative.
&#8220;New evidence has emerged of the most egregious weaponization and politicization of intelligence in American history. Per President @realDonaldTrump&#8217;s directive, I have declassified a @HouseIntel oversight majority staff report that exposes how the Obama Administration manufactured the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment that they knew was false, promoting the LIE that Vladimir Putin and the Russian government helped President Trump win the 2016 election,&#8221; Gabbard posted. &#8220;In doing so, they conspired to subvert the will of the American people, working with their partners in the media to promote the lie, in order to undermine the legitimacy of President Trump, essentially enacting a years-long coup against him.&#8221;
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🧵 New evidence has emerged of the most egregious weaponization and politicization of intelligence in American history. Per President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>&#8216;s directive, I have declassified a <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseIntel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HouseIntel</a> oversight majority staff report that exposes how the Obama Administration… <a href="https://t.co/0sS4Df8yoI">pic.twitter.com/0sS4Df8yoI</a>
— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) <a href="https://twitter.com/DNIGabbard/status/1948007534960198036?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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President Trump Swears In Steve Witkoff As Special Envoy

Justice Department To Form ‘Strike Force’ To Assess ‘Weaponization’ Of Intel Community

Justice Department To Form 'Strike Force' To Assess Evidence After Russiagate Implodes

Department of Justice

Director of National Intelligence

Donald Trump

Pam Bondi

Russia Collusion Hoax

Tulsi Gabbard

Legacy media outlets that pushed the Russia collusion hoax are downplaying bombshell documents released by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, which reveal that the Obama administration suppressed intelligence proving that Russian meddling did not impact the 2016 election. 
The <a href="https://www.odni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/DIG/DIG-Russia-Hoax-Memo-and-Timeline_revisited.pdf">documents</a> show that President Barack Obama ordered a new intelligence community assessment into alleged Russian meddling just one day after the suppression of an intel draft report showed Russia had no impact on election results. In response to the documents, media outlets have accused Gabbard of &#8220;rewriting&#8221; history around the Obama administration&#8217;s role in perpetuating the Russia narrative.  
On Tuesday, CNN published an <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/22/politics/how-tulsi-gabbard-is-trying-to-rewrite-history-of-the-russia-investigation?iid=cnn_buildContentRecirc_end_recirc&amp;recs_exp=up-next-article-end&amp;tenant_id=related.en">article</a> suggesting that Gabbard was “misleading” the public about the Russia hoax, saying that her “allegations about the Russia investigation don’t add up.” NBC published an <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/trumps-intelligence-chiefs-try-rewrite-history-2016-election-rcna220103">article</a> claiming that Gabbard was attempting to “rewrite the history of the 2016 election.” 
The articles claim that Gabbard said there were no Russian efforts to interfere in the election at all. But Gabbard&#8217;s memo on the declassified documents actually notes that there “is still supporting evidence indicating the Russian government directed hacking” of the Democratic National Committee. 
What the media outlets dismiss is that the newly-released documents show a consensus in December 2019 from intelligence officials that Russia did not impact the outcome of the election, and that Russia did not have the ability to actually impact the election results. 
For example, talking points from the office of then-National Intelligence Director James Clapper on December 7 found that “Foreign adversaries did not use cyberattacks on election infrastructure to alter the US Presidential election outcome” and that “We have no evidence of cyber manipulation of election infrastructure intended to alter results.”
A Presidential Daily Briefing draft for December 8, 2016, contains the same points. 
“We assess Russian and criminal actors did not impact recent US election results by conducting malicious cyber activities against election infrastructure,” intelligence officials stated in the unpublished draft.
An intelligence official killed the publication of the draft that day due to “high administration interest,” and the FBI yanked co-authorship to draft a dissent. 
Just one day later, on December 9, Obama asked the intelligence community to come up with a new assessment of Russian meddling. That same day, The Washington Post published an <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/obama-orders-review-of-russian-hacking-during-presidential-campaign/2016/12/09/31d6b300-be2a-11e6-94ac-3d324840106c_story.html">article</a> citing anonymous intelligence officials who said that the CIA concluded that Russia “intervened” to help Trump win the presidency, &#8220;rather than just to undermine confidence in the U.S. electoral system.” 
As Gabbard&#8217;s memo notes, “there is no official [intelligence community] assessment that contains that conclusion.”
CNN’s Tuesday article also cited unnamed “congressional sources” who disputed Gabbard’s claim that the discredited Steele Dossier — paid for by the Clinton campaign — informed the January 2017 intelligence assessment commissioned by Obama that claimed a larger role for Russia in the 2016 election. 
However, as documents released by Gabbard show, an intelligence community whistleblower was informed that the Steele Dossier “was a factor” in the Obama 2017 Russia intelligence assessment. Then-CIA Director John Ratcliffe also found that the dossier was included in the assessment, writing in a recent report that this “ran counter to fundamental tradecraft principles and ultimately undermined the credibility of a key judgment.”
Both CNN and NBC also said that the intelligence community never claimed Russia hacked the 2016 election. But nearly two-thirds of Democrats polled in 2018 <a href="https://today.yougov.com/politics/articles/20383-russias-impact-election-seen-through-partisan-eyes">believed</a> that Russian hacking changed voting totals in the election. 
That came after headlines like “Obama orders review of Russian election-related hacking” from CNN and “U.S. Officials: Putin Personally Involved in U.S. Election Hack” from NBC. 
Gabbard has reportedly sent a criminal referral to the Justice Department over the Obama administration&#8217;s intelligence assessment in January 2017.
“There’s no question in my mind that this intelligence community assessment that President Obama ordered be published which contained a manufactured intelligence document — it’s worse than even politicization of intelligence,” Gabbard <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6375881194112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News last week. “It was manufactured intelligence that sought to achieve President Obama and his team’s objective, which was undermining President Trump’s presidency and subverting the will of the American people.”

President Trump Holds Cabinet Meeting

Same News Orgs That Pushed Russia Hoax Now Claim Gabbard’s Intel Bombshells Are Misleading

More details are coming out concerning alleged efforts by former President Barack Obama and his team&#8217;s efforts to gin up intelligence to create a narrative of Russian interference in the 2016 election, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on Sunday.
Gabbard, a former congresswoman from Hawaii who broke with the Democratic Party, made the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/obama-admin-suppressed-intel-showing-russia-didnt-impact-2016-election-tulsi-reveals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcement</a> on <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6375881194112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a> after first disclosing last week what she dubbed a &#8220;treasonous conspiracy&#8221; by high-level Obama administration officials to undermine President Donald Trump&#8217;s first term.
&#8220;Next week, we will be releasing more detailed information about how exactly this took place and the extent to which this information was sought to be hidden from the American people, hidden from officials who would be in a position to do something about it,&#8221; Gabbard told &#8220;Sunday Morning Futures&#8221; host Maria Bartiromo.
She added later, &#8220;Accountability is essential for the future of our country. For the American people to have any sense of trust in the integrity of our democratic republic, accountability, action, prosecution, indictments for those who are responsible for trying to steal our democracy is essential for us to make sure that this never happens to our country again.&#8221;
In a <a href="https://x.com/DNIGabbard/status/1946271402971312514" target="_blank" rel="noopener">thread</a> posted to X on Friday, Gabbard shared clips of documents and contended that Obama directed his top intelligence officials to &#8220;create&#8221; a new intelligence assessment in December 2016 that contradicted prior analyses, after which they &#8220;leaned on their allies in the media to advance their falsehoods&#8221; and push the narrative that Russia &#8220;intervened to hack the election in Trump&#8217;s favor.&#8221;
Gabbard told Bartiromo that her team released 100 documents on Friday.
They &#8220;provide evidence of how this treasonous conspiracy was directed by President Obama just weeks before he was due to leave office after President Trump had already gotten elected,&#8221; she noted. Gabbard also said they were referring all the records to the Department of Justice and FBI for a criminal referral.
&#8220;So the effect of what President Obama and his senior national security team did was subvert the will of the American people, undermining our democratic republic, and enacting what would be essentially a years-long coup against President Trump, who was duly elected by the American people,&#8221; Gabbard declared.
Democrats have shrugged off Gabbard&#8217;s endeavor.
&#8220;I actually hope that DOJ takes this to court. They won’t, because they know that the howls of laughter from that court will be heard in four time zones,&#8221; Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, <a href="https://x.com/jahimes/status/1946741445861474718" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on X. &#8220;Watch for DOJ action. Not gonna happen. And when it doesn’t, I hope all the MAGA very online people ask why.&#8221;
But Gabbard said intelligence community whistleblowers are coming forward and pledged her team would do &#8220;all&#8221; they could to hold accountable those responsible for the &#8220;incredible lie&#8221; told to the American people.
Pressed on whether she expects indictments and prosecutions, Gabbard replied, &#8220;I&#8217;m not a lawyer. In my view, we have the evidence to be able to move forward and bring about justice, yes, to prosecute and indict those responsible.&#8221;
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DNI Tulsi Gabbard

‘Years-long Coup’: Gabbard Teases Release Of More Details On Obama Russia Intel Controversy

2016 Election

Barack Obama

Russia

U.S.

WASHINGTON—Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard established a special task force in April aimed at restoring transparency and accountability to the Intelligence Community, and fixing the broken system that has allowed weaponization to run rampant throughout the United States government.
That task force is named the &#8220;Director&#8217;s Initiatives Group,&#8221; or DIG, and it is tasked with executing President Donald Trump&#8217;s intelligence-related executive orders. According to an Office of the Director of National Intelligence official, DIG includes some of the best and brightest minds in the intelligence community.
So far, the ODNI official shared, DIG has exposed how the Biden administration weaponized the intelligence community against Americans by releasing formerly classified documents showing how the Biden administration targeted political opponents through its &#8220;Domestic Violent Extremism agenda.&#8221;
DIG also identified and terminated intelligence community employees who were using their roles to push ideology, and revoked the security clearances for the 51 signers of the Hunter Biden &#8220;disinformation letter,&#8221; as well as former President Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger, and Jake Sullivan.
The task force has also led the intelligence community in locating and de-classifying documents that pertain to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr.
<div id="attachment_943569" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-tulsi-gabbard-is-draining-the-rotten-intelligence-community/senate-intelligence-committee-hearing-on-worldwide-threats-3" rel="attachment wp-att-943569"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-943569" class="wp-image-943569 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2206315219-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2206315219-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2206315219-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2206315219-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/GettyImages-2206315219.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>Intelligence leaders testifying on worldwide threats (Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)</div>
DIG has also finalized plans for organizational changes that it hopes will lead to reducing government waste and saving money.
Gabbard&#8217;s team believes the heavy pushback it is receiving is proof positive that they are on the right track to taking on the &#8220;rotted intelligence community.&#8221;
They aren&#8217;t done, however.
According to an ODNI official, DIG has plans to obtain previous intelligence community assessments of election infrastructure showing the vulnerabilities in the 2022 and 2020 elections.
DIG also plans to conduct forensic analyses of past elections to investigate vulnerabilities in the American election infrastructure, the official shared.
The task force also plans to interview whistleblowers with firsthand knowledge and evidence of the politicization of intelligence, such as the Russian Collusion hoax and the Hunter Biden laptop scandal.
&#8220;The task force&#8217;s job is to understand how the intelligence community has failed in areas like this, hold accountable those who actively allowed or participated in it, and provide recommendations for oversight that will prevent it from happening again,&#8221; the ODNI official said.
Another DIG plan: to further declassify examples of the Biden administration&#8217;s use of the &#8220;domestic terrorist&#8221; label to help Americans understand how the previous administration leveraged the security state against political dissidents.
DIG also will investigate how free speech has been restricted by looking into organizational and funding links between the intelligence community and the tech sector, the ODNI official shared, and it will also investigate how the intelligence community contributed to United States tax dollars funding gain-of-function research around the world.
These are only a few of the items that Gabbard&#8217;s task force is focused on, the official shared with The Daily Wire. A number of other sensitive and classified projects are also in the works, and when Gabbard can share more, the official said, she will.
The task force includes members of the ODNI, CIA, NSA, FBI, and the Defense Department. All members have Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance, and are required to take polygraphs within 90 days of reporting for duty. The task force is carried out and authorized under 50 USC Sec. 3024, a provision that states a duty to provide national intelligence that is &#8220;timely, objective, independent of political considerations&#8230;based on all sources available to the IC.&#8221;
The official shared with The Daily Wire that ODNI is utilizing its oversight authority, which has never been done before.
Under Gabbard&#8217;s watch, intelligence community officials &#8220;should expect that someone will be actively checking their homework, ensuring analytical integrity and unbiased collection, and compliance with constitutional and statutory mandates.&#8221;

Senate Intelligence Committee Hearing On Worldwide Threats

Here’s Tulsi Gabbard’s Plan To Drain The ‘Rotted Intelligence Community’

Deep State

Joe Biden

White House

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard took aim at The Washington Post on Thursday, accusing one of the outlet&#8217;s reporters of &#8220;harassing&#8221; her staffers and even &#8220;demanding they share sensitive information.&#8221;
Gabbard called out reporter Ellen Nakashima by name, accusing her of using underhanded methods to get sensitive information from staffers at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and saying that the same reporter had used similar tactics on her and her family when she was in her home state of Hawaii.
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It has come to my attention that Washington Post reporter <a href="https://twitter.com/nakashimae?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nakashimae</a> appears to be actively harassing ODNI staff. Instead of reaching out to my press office, she is calling high level Intelligence Officers from a burner phone, refusing to identify herself, lying about the fact…
— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) <a href="https://twitter.com/DNIGabbard/status/1940796626735395098?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;It has come to my attention that Washington Post reporter @nakashimae appears to be actively harassing ODNI staff,&#8221; Gabbard announced in a post on X. &#8220;Instead of reaching out to my press office, she is calling high level Intelligence Officers from a burner phone, refusing to identify herself, lying about the fact that she works for the Washington Post, and then demanding they share sensitive information.&#8221;
&#8220;Apparently, publishing leaked classified material wasn&#8217;t enough for the Washington Post, so now they’ve decided to go after the Intelligence professionals charged to protect it,&#8221; the former Congresswoman (D-HI) added. &#8220;This is a clear political op by the same outlet and the same reporter who harassed and stalked my family in Hawaii. This kind of deranged behavior reflects a media establishment so desperate to sabotage @POTUS’s successful agenda that they’ve abandoned even a facade of journalistic integrity and ethics.&#8221;
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&#8220;The Washington Post should be ashamed, and they should put an end to this immediately,&#8221; she declared.
The Post fired back with a statement from Executive Editor Matt Murray, defending Nakashima and saying, &#8220;For three decades, Ellen Nakashima has been one of the most careful, fair-minded, and highly regarded reporters covering national security. Reaching out to potential sources rather than relying solely on official government press statements regarding matters of public interest is neither nefarious nor is it harassment. It is basic journalism. DNI Gabbard’s unfounded personal attack reflects a fundamental misunderstanding about the role of journalists to report on government officials and hold power to account, without fear or favor and regardless of party. The Post remains committed to that vital and constitutionally protected work.&#8221;

Tulsi Gabbard’s Senate confirmation hearing for national intelligence director in Washington

Tulsi Gabbard Unloads On Washington Post, Says Reporter Is ‘Actively Harassing’ Staffers

Media

Politics

Washington Post

A top intelligence official who told Congress she was blindsided by a dismissal in her office was in fact informed of the personnel move directly by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard herself, according to internal memos obtained by The Daily Wire.
Tamara Johnson, the acting Intelligence Community Inspector General, informed a group of congressional Democrats that Gabbard &#8220;unilaterally terminated&#8221; one of Johnson&#8217;s top deputies without getting Johnson&#8217;s approval. But a memo sent by Gabbard to Johnson on May 30 — nearly two weeks before Johnson&#8217;s claims to the senators were made public — shows that Gabbard not only informed Johnson that Acting General Counsel Stephanie McDonald would be fired, but also that Gabbard believed she had Johnson&#8217;s support for the move.
&#8220;You agreed to terminate Ms. McDonald&#8217;s employment and volunteered to notify Ms. McDonald of the decision in coordination with ODNI [Human Resources],&#8221; Gabbard wrote in the memo to Johnson, which was <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/06-02-2025_MEM_DNI-Response-to-Acting-IC-IG-re-Trial-Period-Employee_25-00805_Redacted_STAMPED.pdf">obtained in full</a> by The Daily Wire. &#8220;The [Chief Operating Officer] and [ODNI&#8217;s] Acting General Counsel emphasized that your support was appreciated, along with your agreement to take the action.&#8221;
A May 20 memo, also obtained by The Daily Wire, memorializes the conversation between the COO, ODNI&#8217;s top lawyer, and Johnson, in which the decision to terminate McDonald was presented. In that memo, ODNI COO Lora Shiao wrote that Johnson &#8220;confirmed her approval of DNI&#8217;s decision&#8221; to fire McDonald during a May 15 video call.
Shiao added that she and ODNI&#8217;s top lawyer &#8220;emphasized that we appreciated [Johnson&#8217;s] support&#8221; for firing McDonald, and her &#8220;agreement to take this action.&#8221; Johnson reportedly told the officials from Gabbard&#8217;s office that &#8220;she would notify Stephanie McDonald of the decision in coordination with ODNI Human Resource management,&#8221; the memo reads.
In her May 30 memo to Johnson, Gabbard argues that she didn&#8217;t need her approval, but sought it anyway. She said that, &#8220;Despite not needing your approval to terminate a probationary employee of ODNI, I had my office reach out to you to discuss the termination.&#8221;
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-large wp-image-932209" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-10-at-12.59.39%E2%80%AFPM-1024x505.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="505" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-10-at-12.59.39%E2%80%AFPM-1024x505.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-10-at-12.59.39%E2%80%AFPM-300x148.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-10-at-12.59.39%E2%80%AFPM-768x379.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-10-at-12.59.39%E2%80%AFPM.jpg 1228w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></div>
The memos contradict claims from Johnson included in the Monday <a href="https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/5/8/58b43691-9d80-427e-bf06-1fc82b0d4276/EC312422A68397B50570A8188320C64A8E5A4F40C6A1C16954E7418932CCF713.letter-to-dni-re-icig-unresolved-differences-with-the-dni.pdf">letter</a> from Democrats alleging that Gabbard acted “contrary to law,” and “never sufficiently explained” why she had fired McDonald. 
The spat with the acting inspector general comes as Gabbard works to weed out politicization of the inspector general&#8217;s office, which is supposed to be an impartial watchdog for the intelligence community. Top officials at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence say the office remains beholden to partisan interests, and has resisted changes ordered by the Trump administration. 
Johnson has “failed to demonstrate timely compliance with Presidential direction regarding DEI matters, politicization of the work environment, and workforce optimization,” according to a document prepared by an intelligence official from Gabbard&#8217;s office obtained by The Daily Wire.
The document paints a picture of an office that appears beset by anti-Trump sentiment. 
For example, Johnson waited over 30 days to remove DEI language from mission statements displayed throughout office areas and took nearly 60 days to remove DEI language from its internal website, according to the intelligence official. In contrast, Gabbard’s office removed all references to DEI within five days of Trump’s executive order.
Johnson’s office also refused to let her employees take advantage of Trump’s DOGE initiatives, including use of Deferred Resignation Program (DRP) and Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA), according to the document. 
“Several ODNI cadre employees, at that time assigned to [Johnson’s] office, indicated their intent to take advantage of these incentives. [Johnson’s] office stated that they did not wish to offer these incentives to their eligible employees and that the DNI did not have the authority to do so, despite existing [Office of Personnel Management] guidance to the contrary,” the intelligence official noted. 
There were also complaints against Johnson’s office not putting up photos of Trump and Vice President JD Vance after the inauguration where photos of former President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had been. New photos were not displayed until May 2025, after a senior advisor for Gabbard arrived and took steps to resolve the issue. 
“The employee complaint noted that their absence was perceived as a politically motivated slight to new leadership by some members of the workforce,” the intelligence official noted. 
The review of Johnson’s office also found allegations that employees were told “to deprioritize responding to inquiries from Republicans in Congress,” and that taxpayer dollars were misspent.  
ODNI senior advisors reported that Johnson’s office had a reputation for accumulating “large quantities of branded swag that was not specifically for purposes of recruiting or other authorized activities” and that Johnson herself had spent $10,000 of taxpayer dollars on an ornamental throw rug for her office when she was deputy inspector general. 
Johnson’s office also violated Intelligence Community policy by storing hundreds of branded thumb drives in classified facilities, according to senior advisors from Gabbard’s office. When reached for comment, the Inspector General&#8217;s office said it had no comment on the firings or politicization claims.

Senate Intelligence Cmte Holds Confirmation Hearing For DNI Nominee Tulsi Gabbard

Internal Memo Undermines Dem Claims That Tulsi Gabbard Is Meddling With An Intel Watchdog

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard praised the progress made at Asia&#8217;s premier security conference in an interview with Morning Wire, saying it proves that global leaders are willing to engage in diplomacy that further facilitates peace.
“The goal here within this region, as well as others around the world, is to be able to achieve [peace],” Gabbard told Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley. “That’s why these kinds of conferences are so important.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x5SNgEOlmOU?si=-Duet9LJ_raEEdgg" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> 
Her remarks come after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated at the conference that “any attempt by China to conquer Taiwan by force would result in devastating consequences for the Indo-Pacific and the world.”
On April 1, the Chinese military announced large-scale drills in the waters surrounding Taiwan, saying they were meant as a warning and a forceful containment against the country’s independence, The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-white-house-confronts-china-over-taiwan-military-provocations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Hesgeth met with counterparts in Japan and the Philippines afterward, promising to counter China’s aggression.
Gabbard said the context of Hegseth’s statement at the conference is important, and that current indications show China does not intend to take military action.
“The overwhelming message that Pete delivered is the message that we hear from President Trump, which is that he is the president of peace,” Gabbard said.
Still, Gabbard told The Daily Wire that despite saber rattling from Beijing, it’s unlikely that they’ll engage in military action against regional rivals in the immediate future.
Asked how much the ongoing summit has focused on China, Gabbard said it has been a topic of conversation, but not the primary focus.
“Counterterrorism has been a really common topic that has come up from countries from across the region,” Gabbard said.
“The issue of transnational criminal organizations has been a predominant concern as well, and there’s been a lot of questions coming from other countries about some of the actions that we are taking under President Trump’s leadership, not only to secure our own borders, but to deal with the cartels who are trafficking fentanyl and other narcotics.”
Though fentanyl trafficking is a prominent issue for the United States, other countries report that traffickers’ drug of choice is methamphetamine, providing important insight into understanding the drivers of these criminal activities.
“The Biden administration’s last four years of, essentially, open borders … really rolled out the red carpet for these cartels to be able to … come in and out of our country and conduct these illegal activities,” Gabbard said. “Unfortunately, what we’re seeing more and more is how deeply entrenched they already are in our communities.”
Gabbard revealed that weapons and sex trafficking are also common issues throughout the Southeast Asian region, as well as the Middle East and Europe, harming more people than just American citizens. Her department is working closely with Attorney General Pam Bondi, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security to deal with these already existing threats in America.
“We are securing our border,” Gabbard assured. “It is more secure now than it has been in a very, very long time.”

President-Elect Trump’s Nominees For Upcoming Administration Continue Meeting With Lawmakers On Capitol Hill

From Asia, Tulsi Gabbard Hails Trump As ‘President Of Peace’ Amid Rising China Threat

China

Morning Wire

Pete Hegseth

On Thursday evening, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said former FBI Director James Comey should be thrown in jail for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disgraced-former-fbi-chief-deletes-86-47-post-that-got-kash-patels-attention" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a social media post</a> widely seen as threatening President Donald Trump.
Gabbard told Fox News host Jesse Watters that she &#8220;absolutely&#8221; did not buy Comey&#8217;s claim that he did not realize that a photo he posted to Instagram of shells on a beach showing &#8220;86&#8221; and &#8220;47&#8221; had anything to do with violence.
&#8220;I&#8217;m very concerned for [Trump&#8217;s] life. And James Comey, in my view, should be held accountable and put behind bars for this,&#8221; Gabbard said.
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James Comey just issued a call to action to murder the President of the United States.
As a former FBI Director and someone who spent most of his career prosecuting mobsters and gangsters, he knew exactly what he was doing and must be held accountable under the full force of the… <a href="https://t.co/zvbu5Vf0zg">pic.twitter.com/zvbu5Vf0zg</a>
— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) <a href="https://twitter.com/DNIGabbard/status/1923198011108192532?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Comey, who was cast out as FBI director by Trump in 2017 and has been critical of the president over the years, drew controversy earlier in the day when he posted the photo of shells arranged to show &#8220;86&#8221; and &#8220;47&#8221; on a beach.
&#8220;Cool shell formation on my beach walk,&#8221; Comey said.
Many people interpreted the photo as referencing assassination because &#8220;86&#8221; is used as slang for kill and Trump is the 47th president. Others have defended Comey, contending that &#8220;86&#8221; could simply mean removal.
Comey deleted the photo and, in a follow-up post, insisted he did not mean to suggest anything drastic.
&#8220;I posted a picture earlier of some shells I saw on a beach walk, which I assumed were a political message,&#8221; Comey said. &#8220;I didn’t realize some folks associate those numbers with violence. It never occurred to me but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down.&#8221;
Still, FBI Director Kash Patel announced that the bureau that Comey once led was looking into the matter.
“We are aware of the recent social media post by former FBI Director James Comey, directed at President Trump. We are in communication with the Secret Service and Director Curran. Primary jurisdiction is with SS on these matters and we, the FBI, will provide all necessary support,” Patel said on X.
People have been arrested and charged for allegedly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-arrests-man-aliakbar-mohammed-amin-for-threats-against-trump-tulsi-gabbard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">threatening</a> Gabbard and Trump. Last year, during the 2024 campaign, Trump survived two assassination attempts.
Gabbard suggested that Comey should face consequences regardless of what he was thinking.
&#8220;Whatever James Comey&#8217;s intent, he and people like him need to be held to account according to the law, which is something that he claims to have given his life for and stands by the rule of law. Fantastic,&#8221; Gabbard said. &#8220;The rule of law says people like him, who issue direct threats against the president of the United States — essentially issuing a call to assassinate him — must be held accountable under the law.&#8221;

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard

Tulsi Gabbard Says Comey Should Be Thrown In Jail For ‘86′ Trump Post

General

James Comey

On Wednesday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced that she recommended charges related to a pair of leaks.
&#8220;Politicization of our intelligence and leaking classified information puts our nation’s security at risk and must end. Those who leak classified information will be found and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,&#8221; Gabbard <a href="https://x.com/DNIGabbard/status/1915150870255210774" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post on X.
&#8220;Today, I referred two intelligence community LEAKS to the Department of Justice for criminal referral, with a third criminal referral on its way, which includes the recent illegal leak to the Washington Post,&#8221; she added.
Gabbard was alluding to a disclosure on Iran and Israel to The Washington Post, which she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gabbard-aggressively-pursuing-intel-community-leaks-to-legacy-media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">referenced</a> in March when announcing her inquiry into various leaks to the media.
The post did not disclose any further information, including who may have been the subject of the referrals. It remains to been seen whether the Department of Justice (DOJ) and its FBI look into the matter and decide whether charges are warranted.
&#8220;These deep-state criminals leaked classified information for partisan political purposes to undermine POTUS’ agenda. I look forward to working with [the DOJ] and [the FBI] to investigate, terminate and prosecute these criminals,&#8221; Gabbard concluded.
A combat veteran and former House lawmaker from Hawaii, Gabbard was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-confirms-tulsi-gabbard-as-director-of-national-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> by GOP-led Senate to become the director of national intelligence in President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration in mid-February via a 52-48 vote.
One month later, Gabbard vowed to track down leakers within the vast U.S. Intelligence Community, which has 18 <a href="https://www.dni.gov/index.php/what-we-do/members-of-the-ic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">members</a> that include the CIA, National Security Agency, military branches, and the FBI.
&#8220;Our nation’s Intelligence Community must be focused on our national security mission. Politically motivated leaks undermine our national security and the trust of the American people, and will not be tolerated,&#8221; Gabbard <a href="https://x.com/DNIGabbard/status/1900525561786646903" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> at the time in a threat posted to X.
&#8220;Unfortunately, such leaks have become commonplace with no investigation or accountability. That ends now. We know of and are aggressively pursuing recent leakers from within the Intelligence Community and will hold them accountable,&#8221; she continued.
Gabbard then listed some &#8220;recent examples of unauthorized leaks&#8221; within the Intelligence Community that resulted in disclosures to The Washington Post, HuffPost, and The Record. She also mentioned a &#8220;leaker within the IC sharing information about the U.S. &#8211; Russia relationship with NBC.&#8221;
She concluded that X thread by saying: &#8220;Any unauthorized release of classified information is a violation of the law and will be treated as such.&#8221;
The probe was announced before The Atlantic&#8217;s Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg first reported that he gained access to a Signal group chat group in which leading Trump administration officials discussed plans for airstrikes on Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen.
In the ensuing fallout, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz took responsibility for the breach, which has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/so-damn-dangerous-signal-chat-breach-linked-to-automated-suggestion-feature-on-iphone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">linked</a> to the “automated suggestion” feature on his iPhone. But the Trump administration denied there was classified information in the conversation and the president has stood by Waltz.

Tulsi Gabbard Targets ‘Deep-State’ Intelligence Leakers With Criminal Referrals

Leak

National Intelligence

National Security

Lawyers representing Tulsi Gabbard are threatening to sue CNN for defamation if the network publishes a story accusing the Director of National Intelligence of voter fraud, according to a legal <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/848025125/Lawyers-For-Tulsi-Gabbard-Threaten-CNN">cease and desist letter</a> obtained by The Daily Wire.
In the letter, dated April 4, lawyers representing Gabbard state that they learned a day earlier that CNN “plans to publish a story that falsely asserts or implies that Tulsi Gabbard committed voter fraud and suggests that she had abandoned her longstanding Hawaii residency.”
The story, according to the letter, is based on Gabbard’s <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13252435/Tulsi-Gabbard-Trump-vice-president-pick-buys-property-Leander-Texas-Hawaii.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2024 purchase</a> of a Texas house — CNN apparently planned to write that Gabbard improperly voted in Hawaii in 2024 when she should have voted in Texas, because she declared a “homestead exemption” at that property. The lawyers, the letter shows, inform CNN that Texas law does not indefinitely bind homestead to your residence, and that Gabbard “was, is, and intends to remain a Hawaii resident.”
Gabbard, a former Democrat who left the party, was raised in Hawaii, served in its state legislature, and represented the state Congress for nearly a decade. Olivia Coleman, press secretary for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, told The Daily Wire that “illegitimate claims of voter fraud are a new low, even for CNN.”
“DNI Gabbard voted in Hawaii during the 2024 election because she is and has been a tax paying Hawaii resident,” Coleman said. “Her current status is no different than when she was a Member of Congress, where she maintained a mainland residence and a Hawaii residence as a tax-paying voter.”
The legal letter informs CNN that Gabbard “took the advice of local officials to register a homestead exemption to protect her and her family’s privacy.”
“Declaring her ‘homestead’ in Texas, per law, ensured her address would remain confidential in response to ongoing, high-level, credible threats against her and her family,” Coleman exmplained. “Any claim to the contrary is simply dishonest and is yet another smear job from discredited CNN that could put the Director and her loved ones further at risk.”
It is unclear whether CNN plans to publish its report, or if the network has additional evidence not referenced in the legal letter. CNN did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
It is also unclear what motive Gabbard would have for fraudulently maintaining residence in Hawaii while living primarily in Texas. Politically, Texas is a much more electorally competitive state than Hawaii. And financially, Hawaii has one of the highest state income taxes in the country, while Texas is one of eight states with no income tax at all.
In their letter, Gabbard’s lawyers cite a court case which states that while a designated homestead is “relevant to consideration of residence,” it is “not dispositive.” Gabbard presently spends most of her time in Virginia, where the Office of the Director of National Intelligence is headquartered.
In support of the claims of defamation, Gabbard’s lawyers state in the letter that the “demonstrably false” statements “have the potential to cause significant harm to her personal and professional reputation.”
“The allegations meet the legal standard for defamation per se, as they falsely accuse Director Gabbard of criminal conduct, which is inherently damaging to her reputation,” the letter says.
In 2022, CNN published an article titled, “<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/04/politics/election-fraud-trump-no-evidence/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Election fraud isn’t really a thing, part infinity</a>.”
Read the full letter below:
<iframe loading="lazy" class="scribd_iframe_embed" tabindex="0" title="Lawyers For Tulsi Gabbard Threaten CNN" src="https://www.scribd.com/embeds/848025125/content?start_page=1&amp;view_mode=scroll&amp;access_key=key-um1BZ4O1374vubmtbWEE" width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" data-auto-height="true" data-aspect-ratio="0.7729220222793488"></iframe>
<a style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Lawyers For Tulsi Gabbard Threaten CNN on Scribd" href="https://www.scribd.com/document/848025125/Lawyers-For-Tulsi-Gabbard-Threaten-CNN#from_embed"> Lawyers For Tulsi Gabbard Threaten CNN </a> by <a style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Daily Wire Investigations Team's profile on Scribd" href="https://www.scribd.com/user/694252498/Daily-Wire-Investigations-Team#from_embed"> Daily Wire Investigations Team </a>

Tulsi Gabbard/CNN

Tulsi Gabbard Threatens To Sue CNN For ‘Smear Job’ Accusing Her Of Voter Fraud

Voting

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard recently completed her second international trip, where she met with world leaders from Japan to Thailand to focus on advancing &#8220;America First policies&#8221; across the Indo-Pacific region, according to a summary of her trip shared with The Daily Wire.
During her trip, Gabbard went to Hawaii, Japan, Thailand, India, and France, a spokesman for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said. 
“President Trump remains unwavering in his commitment to achieving peace through a strategy rooted in realism and pragmatism,” Gabbard said. “Securing peace through strength requires strong leadership with a clear-eyed and realistic understanding of global challenges and opportunities, a commitment to fostering cultural and economic ties that reduce the likelihood of an escalation to conflict, and a dedication to reinforcing mutual interests.”
While in Hawaii, Gabbard spoke with U.S. Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo, senior NSA leaders and intelligence officers, and Naval Special Warfare sailors.
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It was great meeting with Naval Special Warfare Sailors at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam this week, learning more about their maritime special operations capabilities. Mahalo to our servicemen and women who serve our country every day at home and abroad! <a href="https://t.co/QEHj5G5EFW">pic.twitter.com/QEHj5G5EFW</a>
— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) <a href="https://twitter.com/DNIGabbard/status/1900521451490361618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Having been born and raised in the Indo-Pacific region, DNI Gabbard brought a nuanced understanding of the area’s crucial partnerships and complex challenges as she explored opportunities to advance President Trump’s America First policies across the Indo-Pacific,&#8221; the ODNI spokesman said.
The spokesman added that Gabbard &#8220;reiterated the importance of accurate and timely intelligence that protects Americans’ Fourth Amendment rights&#8221; during a visit to the NSA&#8217;s Hawaii headquarters. 
While in Japan and Thailand, Gabbard met with intelligence officers and other senior diplomats to discuss intelligence collaboration.
&#8220;While she did not have the opportunity to visit Hiroshima or Nagasaki during this trip, she looks forward to doing so on her next visit to the region, to honor the lives lost, highlight the immeasurable cost of nuclear war, and President Trump’s commitment to counterproliferation and preventing nuclear war,&#8221; the spokesman said. 
Gabbard met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss intelligence-sharing and counterterrorism. She also spoke in India at the Raisina Dialogue, an Indian conference on geopolitics and economics.

US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard in New Delhi

Here’s How Tulsi Gabbard Spent Her Second International Trip As Director Of National Intelligence

Japan

National Security Agency (NSA)

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said Friday that she was &#8220;aggressively pursuing” individuals within the intelligence community who have leaked information to legacy media outlets, such as NBC News and The Washington Post.
Gabbard said that leakers violated the law by providing reporters with classified information about American foreign policy on Iran, Israel, and Russia. 
“Our nation’s Intelligence Community must be focused on our national security mission. Politically motivated leaks undermine our national security and the trust of the American people, and will not be tolerated,” Gabbard posted on X. “Unfortunately, such leaks have become commonplace with no investigation or accountability.  That ends now. We know of and are aggressively pursuing recent leakers from within the Intelligence Community and will hold them accountable.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Our nation’s Intelligence Community must be focused on our national security mission. Politically motivated leaks undermine our national security and the trust of the American people, and will not be tolerated.
Unfortunately, such leaks have become commonplace with no…
— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) <a href="https://twitter.com/DNIGabbard/status/1900525554039939309?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
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She then listed several examples of &#8220;unauthorized leaks.” 
In one case, she said a leaker had been sharing “classified information” with the liberal outlet Huffington Post but did not specify on what topic. In another example, Gabbard referenced unauthorized leaks on Iran and Israel to The Washington Post. 
Another intel worker gave NBC News information on the U.S.-Russia relationship, Gabbard said, and a different person told The Record about activities of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center. 
“Any unauthorized release of classified information is a violation of the law and will be treated as such,” Gabbard said. 
Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) praised Gabbard’s announcement. 
“I&#8217;m grateful that [Gabbard] is working to end leaking and the weaponization of the Intelligence Community,” he <a href="https://x.com/TomCottonAR/status/1900563534645195240" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on X. “Another promise made and promise kept.”
Gabbard was narrowly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/senate-confirms-tulsi-gabbard-as-director-of-national-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> as DNI last month in a 52-48 vote. During her confirmation hearing, she promised to end the politicization of intelligence and restore trust in the national security apparatus tasked with protecting American citizens.

Gabbard ‘Aggressively Pursuing’ Intel Community Leaks To Legacy Media

Huffington Post

Legacy Media

NBC News

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