The Director of Nationwide Intelligence says the community’s nameless CIA sources are precisely the individuals “we have to root out”
Newly confirmed Director of Nationwide Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard has accused CNN of performing as a “propaganda arm” for disloyal intelligence brokers, calling the community’s report on potential retaliation by dismissed spies an “oblique menace” to President Donald Trump’s administration.
As a part of Trump’s broader effort to downsize and restructure the federal authorities, the Central Intelligence Company (CIA) has not too long ago supplied so-called buyouts to its brokers. In a report printed Monday, CNN, citing unnamed sources, claimed that some senior CIA officers had been “quietly discussing” how the dismissals “threat creating a gaggle of disgruntled former staff who is perhaps motivated to take what they know to a international intelligence service.”
“I’m interested by how they assume this can be a good tactic to maintain their job,” Gabbard advised Fox Information on Tuesday.
“They’re exposing themselves, basically, by making this oblique menace – utilizing their propaganda arm, CNN, that they’ve used over and over – to disclose their hand,” she continued. “Their loyalty is to not America, to not the American individuals or the Structure; it’s to themselves.”
The director of nationwide intelligence confused that such disgruntled staff are “precisely the varieties of individuals we have to root out, eliminate, in order that the patriots who do work on this space, who’re dedicated to our core mission, can truly concentrate on that.”
Gabbard additionally claimed that many throughout the intelligence neighborhood had reached out to her personally, expressing assist for Trump’s efforts to “clear home” and refocus on the core mission of serving the American individuals.
A former US congresswoman from Hawaii, Gabbard rose to nationwide prominence in 2016 when she resigned as vice chair of the Democratic Nationwide Committee (DNC) to endorse Bernie Sanders for president. She later ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, advocating in opposition to US army interventions overseas, which she argued had been dangerous to service members like herself and detrimental to nationwide pursuits. As tensions with the Democratic Social gathering escalated, Gabbard left the celebration in 2022. After two years as an impartial, she joined the Republican Social gathering and endorsed Donald Trump throughout the 2024 presidential marketing campaign.
Trump’s nomination of Gabbard for the highest intelligence function in November sparked criticism from institution figures, who labeled her a safety threat. Regardless of the backlash, she was confirmed earlier this month by a 52-48 Senate vote, with just one Republican, Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, opposing her appointment.
In January, the Senate additionally confirmed one other Trump nominee, John Ratcliffe, as director of the CIA in a 74-25 vote. Ratcliffe, a former Texas congressman and ex-director of nationwide intelligence throughout Trump’s first time period, is understood for his skepticism of intelligence businesses and his criticism of investigations into alleged Russian interference within the 2016 election.
