Since the moment President Donald Trump decided to name Tulsi Gabbard as his Director of National Intelligence, it was clear she was going to enter the job under fire.
The <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/classified-whistleblower-complaint-about-tulsi-gabbard-stalls-within-her-agency-027f5331">Wall Street Journal</a> has targeted her. National Review has targeted her. The Washington Post and the New York Times and — let&#8217;s just say a veritable host of legacy media outlets and gossip rags have all run attacks on her. On X, she is a frequent target of internet gadflies who want her out of the job.
And now, just as she’s leaving office, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2026/06/21/tulsi-gabbard-her-guru-mysterious-messages-that-helped-shape-her-political-career/">The Washington Post</a> lobs an “exposé” about her personal life and religious practices. Meanwhile, the so-called “journalists” have painfully little to say about her releasing the Fauci files — how he “provided millions in U.S. taxpayer dollars to fund dangerous gain-of-function research” — and ties to communist China. Keep focusing on the “real” scandals, journos; the rest of us have real work to do, and Tulsi Gabbard was a leader all the way to the end.
<div style="max-width: 728px; margin: 0 auto;"><iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/OKLV6D3fxRxAlwwXLXSPCk02024uX02TgFN?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=52d2b23e-5f4c-4cd0-93e6-f31765c576ce&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=2026-06-19%20Tulsi%20Releases%20The%20Fauci%20Files&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2F61d7b551-138a-4879-a448-fe7f6679a78d.png&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
I know what leadership looks like. There are certain principles that define leaders — leaders who have the opportunity to shape the lives of countless people by the principles they embrace and how they apply them in times of friction. The unwavering pursuit of the truth, uncompromised moral clarity, steadfast honesty, and a disciplined yet passionate loyalty to the people they’re entrusted to lead — these are the high standards we should demand of our leaders.
Unfortunately, not everyone understands these principles or upholds such standards, and this reflects the mentality and motivation of her critics, who see her leadership and the principles she embodies as a threat to their narrative and institutional power, even as she leaves office under the most honorable of circumstances.
This is nothing new in the arena of politics, but for me, it’s personal.
The world may know her as Director, Representative, Lt. Colonel, or presidential candidate Gabbard, but to my daughters and me, she’s Tulsi. There is no one on this planet I trust more. She is also the first person I call when I need a real answer. Not a filtered one, not a safe one, not one designed to protect an image or position. She carries this mentality through every facet of her life and will continue to do so as she walks this next journey beside her husband.
Knowing Tulsi Gabbard is to know her answers are grounded in what is right, filtered through one standard: the Constitution. Nothing else factors into it. Not her own best interest, not what puts her in the safest position, not what is easy or comfortable, and certainly not what someone wants to hear.
In the political world, the cynic would assume this is how things operate: When someone speaks the truth, when they refuse to bend, play along, or say what is convenient, they should expect coordinated attacks. There are no facts or accountability involved. There are only carefully timed headlines and smear campaigns designed to sow seeds of doubt with the intent to bring that person’s character into question.
That is not journalism; it’s a playbook. And we should demand better — not only because Tulsi Gabbard deserves it, but because she holds herself to higher standards in everything she does. These are very large shoes to fill for the next DNI, and we should expect nothing less than the standard she set and her unwavering pursuit of the truth, despite attacks even from within her political sphere.
The attacks on Tulsi Gabbard weren’t just about her; they’re about what happens to anyone who refuses to compromise their principles for politics and power. So when outlets like the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal published pieces aimed at discrediting her, I do not see journalism in the traditional sense. I see a familiar pattern: discredit the person so you don’t have to engage with what they are actually saying and doing. Create enough noise so people stop asking real questions. Turn truth into controversy so it becomes easier to dismiss. And allege, without basis, anything you want to claim based on the need to remove someone who doesn’t share your maximalist ideology.
That approach may work on people who do not know Tulsi. For those of us who have actually sat across from her, spoken with her, and understand how she thinks and operates, the narrative does not hold; it collapses under the weight of reality.
That Tulsi Gabbard was — and continues to be — a target is not a sign of a flawed leader; it’s often the clearest indicator of an unflinching, purposeful one. In life, you have to choose between being liked and being trusted. One is easy and more popular; the other actually matters when it counts. In today’s environment, Tulsi’s choices put her in the crosshairs of an establishment that looks suspiciously at those who choose truth over narrative and heartfelt belief over talking points.
When she decided to leave the Democratic Party, it was not because it was easy. It surely was not popular, and it wasn’t because it put her in a better position. She did it because she believed it was right. It harkens back to a line I like to recall from Theodore Roosevelt: “It behooves us to do our best to see that the standard of the average citizen is kept high; and the average cannot be kept high unless the standard of the leaders is very much higher.”
Tulsi Gabbard is a leader who sets a high standard. We are a better country for it and a better people for demanding and trusting such leadership. At some point, we have to decide what type of leaders we want — leaders who say what is convenient or leaders who say what is true? Do we want people who protect their position or people who protect the principles they swore to uphold? You will never get both.
What makes Tulsi Gabbard a trusted, principled leader — and a target — is not her title or position; it’s that she could not be easily influenced, redirected, or controlled by the systems that so many others learn to operate within. She did not shift with pressure. She did not abandon her values based on headlines. She never prioritized perception over principle. Until her last day, she continued to operate from a fixed point: the Constitution and the service of the American people.
That is exactly what this country claims to want. And when someone actually lives it, it’s interesting who they scare. So, thank you, Tulsi, for your commitment to service, for standing your ground in the face of your enemies, and for your decision to live by a high standard of principles, even in leaving office. A grateful nation, and a friend, bids you fair winds and following seas.
***
Dakota Meyer is a United States Marine. A veteran of the war in Afghanistan, he was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Ganjgal on September 8, 2009, in Kunar province, Afghanistan. He is also a NYT bestselling author and the owner of DASH Hydrate.

US-POLITICS-INTELLIGENCE-GABBARD

Dakota Meyer: Tulsi Gabbard Always Fights For America First

Anthony Fauci

Director of National Intelligence

DW Opinion

Media Bias

Trump Administration

Tulsi Gabbard

President Donald Trump on Thursday nominated former Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Jay Clayton to be the next Director of National Intelligence, replacing outgoing intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard. 
Clayton currently serves as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, having previously led the SEC from May 2017 through December 2020 during Trump&#8217;s first term.
“I am pleased to announce the Nomination of very Highly Respected Jay Clayton, former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the former Head of Sullivan &amp; Cromwell, one of the most prominent and successful Law Firms anywhere in the World, and the current United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, to be the next Director of National Intelligence and, importantly, to serve in my Cabinet,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. 
“Few people anywhere in the Legal Community are respected at the level of Jay. I encourage the United States Senate to confirm Jay as soon as possible,” he added. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
While Clayton is best known for his work in financial regulation, he currently oversees one of the nation&#8217;s most prominent federal prosecutors&#8217; offices. During his tenure as U.S. attorney, the Southern District of New York has continued pursuing high-profile cases, including the prosecution of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
Trump&#8217;s nomination comes after Gabbard announced last month that she would step down from her post to support her husband as he undergoes treatment for a rare form of bone cancer. Gabbard is scheduled to leave office at the end of June.
The selection also follows controversy surrounding Trump’s decision to name Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte as acting director. 
Democrats and some Republicans questioned whether Pulte possessed sufficient national security experience to lead the intel community, while House Democrats cited his appointment as a reason to oppose extending Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. 
“Bill Pulte has no relevant national security experience. Consequently, his appointment is in defiance of the law that requires the Director of National Intelligence to have ‘extensive’ national security experience,” House Democrat leaders said. “The apparent motivation for his elevation is the demonstrated willingness of Bill Pulte to search government databases for alleged dirt on President Trump’s chosen political enemies.”
Clayton must now be confirmed by the Senate before he can assume the role permanently.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt,  Tulsi Gabbard, United States Director of National Intelligence.

Trump Makes New Pick To Replace Tulsi Gabbard

Bill Pulte

Donald Trump

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he is appointing Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William J. &#8220;Bill&#8221; Pulte to serve as acting Director of National Intelligence after Tulsi Gabbard&#8217;s resignation last month.
Pulte, a staunch Trump ally with a reputation for aggressive institutional cleanups, will pull double duty, maintaining his current role leading the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and overseeing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
&#8220;William has deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America, the safety and soundness of the Markets, and over 10 Trillion Dollars at Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116680659724813616">said</a>, praising Pulte for a &#8220;substantial increase&#8221; in housing market health over the last 12 months.
  <iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; border: 0; height: auto;" title="DW Player" src="https://public.dailywire.com/preroll-player/embed.html?playback-id=003LuSww202r6TjErbOEa9JtcWGMlxYwVG&amp;ad-tag-url=https%3A%2F%2Fpubads.g.doubleclick.net%2Fgampad%2Fads%3Fiu%3D%2F61914415%2Fdw.video.article%26description_url%3Ddailywire.com%26url%3D%26tfcd%3D0%26npa%3D0%26sz%3D640x480%26min_ad_duration%3D5000%26max_ad_duration%3D60000%26gdfp_req%3D1%26unviewed_position_start%3D1%26vpos%3Dpreroll%26output%3Dvast%26plcmt%3D1%26env%3Dvp%26vpa%3Dclick%26vpmute%3D0%26impl%3Ds%26correlator%3D%5Bcachebuster%5D" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Pulte replaces Gabbard, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-what-tulsi-gabbard-plans-to-reveal-before-leaving-office?utm_source=chatgpt.com">announced her resignation</a> on May 22 to support her husband through a battle with a rare form of bone cancer. Gabbard will officially step down at the end of June.
Gabbard’s 16-month tenure as America’s top spy chief has been highly consequential. Dubbed &#8220;ODNI 2.0,&#8221; her restructuring slashed the agency by 40%, saving taxpayers $700 million annually, while declassifying over 500,000 pages of withheld records  — including files exposing how the Obama administration weaponized intelligence during the &#8220;Russia Hoax.&#8221;
Before she departs on June 30, Gabbard plans to drop weekly, high-profile investigative findings on Havana Syndrome, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the weaponization of the federal government.
Pulte is no stranger to taking on Washington&#8217;s most entrenched political actors. Since being sworn into the FHFA in March 2025, Pulte has used his platform to root out alleged financial misconduct, zeroing in on key Democrats who previously targeted President Trump.
Among his biggest scalps is New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought a civil fraud case against Trump. After an FHFA referral by Pulte, James was indicted on federal bank and mortgage fraud charges in Virginia. Pulte applied the same tactic to Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA), a lead prosecutor in Trump’s first impeachment trial, referring Schiff to the Department of Justice for alleged mortgage fraud.
The grandson of legendary homebuilder William J. Pulte — who built PulteGroup into a Fortune 500 titan — the younger Pulte forged his own multi-million-dollar path in private equity.
Pulte is widely recognized for his unique philanthropic efforts. In 2013, he launched the widely-praised Blight Authority, a non-profit that successfully cleared urban decay and demolished abandoned properties to restore neighborhood safety in Detroit and Pontiac, Michigan. He later achieved massive fame on social media as a pioneer of &#8220;Twitter Philanthropy,&#8221; directly handing out hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own money to everyday Americans for medical bills, food, and emergencies.

Fair Isaac Shares Slump As Pulte Moves To Cut Credit Score Costs

Trump Taps Familiar Name To Replace Tulsi Gabbard

I do not personally know Joe Kent, the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center, so I cannot speak to his character or private motives. But as someone who has publicly claimed friendship with Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard, I find it hard to see how detonating an <a href="https://x.com/C__Herridge/status/2034050521359634577?s=20">atomic bomb</a> on the eve of her testimony before Congress served anyone other than himself.
I sat next to Kent during Gabbard’s confirmation hearing before Congress last year as she showed the United States, our allies, and our adversaries exactly why she was capable of leading the greatest intelligence operation in the world. She handled herself with dignity and with the kind of steady resolve shown by someone who deeply desired to serve her country.
Kent, seated just behind her, wore a Hawaiian lei in a visible show of support for her leadership, her loyalty, and her judgment. That’s why his choice to resign publicly, and to communicate his dissent the way he did, raises an obvious question: where was that support for his friend when it mattered most?
Director Gabbard, for her part, got it exactly right. She has consistently pushed for exhausting diplomacy, but she also made clear that <a href="https://x.com/DNIGabbard/status/2033989780116033948?s=20">the president</a> is the one who decides what qualifies as a viable threat. That is how this works. A political appointee provides an assessment; the commander in chief makes the call. The Trump administration made its call based on the threat Iran posed to Americans and to our way of life.
And that is part of what makes Washington so maddening. This city is full of people who talk endlessly about loyalty, friendship, and principle, then abandon all three the moment public positioning becomes more useful. D.C. has earned its reputation as a town crowded with failed theater kids who routinely avoid demonstrating integrity or loyalty.
Again, I won’t pretend to know Mr. Kent’s intentions in releasing his letter, but his assessment contradicts both his own past <a href="https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/1214960125200330752?s=20">statements</a> and the views of experts who have spent their lives studying the Middle East. People are free to change their minds, but that usually comes through deeper learning and self-correction. This does not seem to be that. I was not in the room for the threat discussions he now struggles to identify, though he seems to have no trouble tweeting about them, but I have studied Iran closely. And while I do not speak Farsi, I am confident “death to America” is not a warm salutation.
Isolationists fail to grasp a basic reality: this is not utopia. Our enemies, animated by a deep-seated hatred for everything America stands for, cannot be escorted hand-in-hand to peace and partnership. Meeting a threat on their doorstep is not a distraction from protecting the homeland — it is how you keep that threat from reaching ours.
The idea of shuttering our borders completely, allowing no one in or out, is both absurd and self-defeating. The world does not work that way. Plus, I would still like to plan my dream vacation to the South of France, for one thing, and for another, America would not have the power it now has to defend itself if it embraced that kind of isolation.
We are now 18 days into a military operation targeting a threat that has been at our doorstep for far too long. All Americans should support our warfighters and those standing with us against a regime that has terrorized the United States, our allies, our values, and its own people. We also have a duty to ask what our tax dollars are funding and why; questioning is good, because you learn things when you do.
Mr. Kent has every right, as a private citizen and taxpayer, to question and disagree with a military action. But the purpose of questioning is to educate, not to diminish American agency. The reflexive habit of crediting Israel, a nation the size of New Jersey, for every major policy decision made by the president of the United States undermines America’s military strength, economic power, and the very intelligence capabilities Mr. Kent supported. Sometimes the simplest explanation is the best: it had to be done.
To be clear, Iran’s leadership is the world’s number one sponsor of terrorism, a regime directly responsible for the loss of thousands of American lives. A regime that regularly murders its own people en masse and shuts down the internet for its 90 million citizens, cutting them off from telling the rest of the world the truth. A regime that bombs its own neighbors in the Middle East, just because it can. This is the same regime that sent representatives to the illegal, non-democratic swearing-in ceremony of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro. A regime that aligns closely with China and Russia in order to enforce authoritarian rule throughout the world and displace American influence. Failing to recognize the imminent threat Iran poses to Americans is either a severe misunderstanding of the danger or an intentional deflection.
Joe Kent’s public <a href="https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/2033897242986209689?s=20">resignation letter</a> places him on a growing list of people whose judgment I have found deeply disappointing. Why? It is disappointing for several reasons. It is disappointing because Kent once spoke <a href="https://x.com/mtracey/status/2033955443010080897?s=20">clearly</a> about the <a href="https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/1840425323743395853?s=20">threat Iran</a> poses to the <a href="https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/1838963575320412395?s=20">United States</a>, only to now cloud that reality. It is disappointing because, until yesterday, he occupied a high-consequence role charged with protecting the homeland from major threats, which makes his sudden uncertainty confusing. And it is disappointing because, at this moment, during an ongoing conflict, his public dissent undermines America’s national security posture and, in turn, the safety of the warfighters carrying out the mission.
* * *
Taylor Hathorn is a foreign policy and national security analyst specializing in U.S. defense strategy, Iran and China policy, cybersecurity, and geopolitical risk. She serves as a National Security Fellow with the Independent Women’s Center for American Safety and Security and an Iran Policy Fellow with The Hamilton Society/Public Interest Fellowship. As a Gold Star sister, she is committed to policies supporting veterans and military families and frequently speaks on national security issues affecting service members and their families. She has appeared on NEWSMAX and PBS, and her writing can be found in The Hill, RealClearDefense, RealClearWorld, Townhall, and Evie Magazine. Follow her on X @taylorhathorn.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

House Homeland Security Committee Hearing On Worldwide Threats

Joe Kent Built His Reputation On Iran Warnings — What Changed?

Iran

Joe Kent

Middle East

National Security

Opinion

Washington D.C.

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.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/6DYIK5OmI3">pic.twitter.com/6DYIK5OmI3</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1948133928344125813?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🧵 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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;

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

Pam Bondi

Russia Collusion Hoax

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;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Tulsi Gabbard drops MAJOR bombshell shedding light on &#039;years-long coup&#039; against Trump" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_S78pKh4LFQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

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=" (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.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#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;
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-2388">JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free</a>
&#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=" (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.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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

Menu