Latest news with #IntelligenceCommunity
CBS News
4 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Trump's intel chief Tulsi Gabbard reignites political battles with 2016 election documents on Russia
The release of more than 100 pages of declassified files and a memorandum by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has reignited political battles over Russia's actions during the 2016 presidential election, a topic that has long incensed President Trump and put the actions of the U.S. intelligence community in partisan crosshairs. Gabbard's office on Friday alleged in the memorandum, which accompanied the files, that they contained what she called evidence of "suppression" and manipulation of the intelligence underlying a 2017 community-wide assessment of Russia's efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election. The files include email exchanges, excerpts from a President's Daily Brief and a readout from a principals committee meeting, chiefly from a period during the Obama administration. In a statement and social media posts, Gabbard claimed the materials, which were marked declassified on July 17, 2025, were evidence of a "treasonous conspiracy" and "years-long coup" plotted by Obama administration officials against Mr. Trump, and said she would forward them to the Department of Justice as part of a criminal referral. She also said in subsequent media appearances that more declassifications about the matter would be made. Democrats fiercely disputed her claims, pointing to the findings of a bipartisan Senate investigation that concluded Russia had attempted to influence the 2016 election. They accused Gabbard herself of misrepresenting intelligence findings and processes. "What you saw from the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was not just a lie, but a very dangerous lie, because when you start throwing around language like sedition and treason, somebody is going to get hurt," said Congressman Jim Himes, ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" Sunday. "[T]he intelligence community is full of very good people who do their jobs every single day, and now they're watching their leader do something that each and every one of them knows is dishonest," Himes said. "This is just another example of the DNI trying to cook the books, rewrite history, and erode trust in the intelligence agencies she's supposed to be leading," Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner of Virginia said in a statement. The memorandum released by Gabbard appears to conflate different kinds of Russian operations during the 2016 election cycle while alleging Obama administration officials fabricated a narrative designed to undermine Mr. Trump. It points several times to select phrases in the documents that say Russia lacked the intent or the capability to use cyber operations to target U.S. election infrastructure, change vote tallies, and overturn the election — which previous investigations agreed did not happen. But while no evidence emerged to indicate Russia engaged in a vote-switching cyberattack, there was evidence that showed a multi-pronged Kremlin influence campaign that attempted to sway American voters. That influence campaign included hack-and-leak operations and social media posts designed to undermine the candidacy of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and bolster then-candidate Trump's, according to the intelligence community's assessment. In the years after the 2016 presidential election, multiple reviews of the intelligence community's findings — including the Senate report and an investigation led by special counsel John Durham, who was appointed by Mr. Trump — reinforced its conclusions. A CIA review of the tradecraft involved in the agency's assessment released earlier this month found some of its judgments may have been rushed and the confidence levels attached to one of them may have been too high, but it did not change the conclusion that Russia's efforts were designed to benefit Mr. Trump's candidacy. Gabbard's statements on Friday were praised and recirculated multiple times by the president, senior White House officials and Republican lawmakers. Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Tom Cotton wrote in a social media post, "It will take decades for the Intelligence Community to recover from the damage done during the Obama and Biden presidencies." Senior White House official Stephen Miller wrote that Gabbard had "exposed the startling depths of a seditious coup against the Republic." The memorandum also criticizes leaks from what it terms "IC officials" or "Deep State officials in the IC" — with "IC" referring to the intelligence community — to media outlets at the time the assessments were being drafted that said Russia had intervened in the election in an effort to help President Trump. The memo does not, however, identify these individuals or provide other evidence about the origin of those disclosures. It also highlights instances in which certain agencies disputed or pushed to change language included in evolving intelligence assessments of Russia's cyber activity. For instance, it cites an FBI official who suggested in an exchange in September of 2016 that language about Russia's intent to use cyber attacks to disrupt the 2016 election be "softened." "[W]e would prefer for the first sentence regarding Russia's intent to be softened," the official wrote. "The way it currently reads, it would indicate that we have definitive information that Russia does intend to disrupt our elections and we are uncomfortable making that assessment at this point." Dissents from different agencies are common and conclusions can change as more intelligence is collected or analysis is done, according to current and former officials familiar with the drafting process for intelligence assessments. It is not clear from the redacted selection of emails released by Gabbard how the language flagged by the FBI was finalized. Warner has expressed concerns about the effect of Gabbard's recent actions on intelligence sharing by partners of the United States, noting that representatives of the intelligence-sharing alliance known as the Five Eyes — which includes the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada — had approached him for answers. "I have had Five Eye partners say, 'Warner, what the hell is going on?'" Warner said during a panel discussion at last week's Aspen Security forum, hours before the 2016 files were released. "I do believe our Five Eyes partners and others are not sharing as much information as they would." Gabrielle Ake contributed to this report.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Obama, Russia, and a coup? DNI Tulsi Gabbard claims plot to derail Donald Trump's 2016 win
Tulsi Gabbard , the current US Director of National Intelligence , has ignited a political firestorm by accusing former President Barack Obama and senior members of his administration of orchestrating a "treasonous conspiracy" during the 2016 election aftermath. Speaking on Friday, Gabbard said her office had uncovered "overwhelming evidence" that high-ranking officials manipulated intelligence to justify the Trump–Russia investigation. These claims were laid out in newly declassified documents, which she says will be handed to the Department of Justice for criminal referral. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Cybersecurity Technology Artificial Intelligence Data Science CXO MCA Healthcare Degree others Design Thinking Product Management PGDM Management Others healthcare Digital Marketing Leadership Data Analytics Project Management Public Policy Finance Data Science Operations Management MBA Skills you'll gain: Duration: 10 Months MIT xPRO CERT-MIT xPRO PGC in Cybersecurity Starts on undefined Get Details 'No matter how powerful, every person involved in this conspiracy must be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, to ensure nothing like this ever happens again,' Gabbard said in an official statement. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 20 Most Expensive Cars In The World Undo A high-level meeting and a shift in narrative According to the documents released by Gabbard, the turning point came during a National Security Council meeting at the White House on 9 December 2016. Present at that meeting were former CIA Director John Brennan, DNI James Clapper, National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Secretary of State John Kerry, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe. She contends that the meeting led to a new intelligence directive—ordered by Obama—to reassess Russia's role in the 2016 election. Following the meeting, Clapper's assistant reportedly instructed the CIA, FBI, NSA and DHS to prepare a revised Intelligence Community (IC) assessment "per the President's request". Live Events This assessment, released on 6 January 2017, suggested Russia interfered in the election to aid Donald Trump. But Gabbard says earlier internal findings did not support that conclusion. 'Foreign adversaries did not use cyberattacks on election infrastructure to alter the US Presidential election outcome,' reads a 7 December 2016 internal memo cited in the report. She claims the revised report ignored previous intelligence and relied instead on 'manufactured' sources, including the now-discredited Steele Dossier. 'Their goal was to subvert the will of the American people and enact what was essentially a years-long coup with the objective of trying to usurp the President from fulfilling the mandate bestowed upon him by the American people,' Gabbard said on social media. False leaks and media influence Gabbard further alleged that Obama-era officials leaked misleading claims to major news outlets to shape public opinion. She cited examples where statements were fed to publications such as The Washington Post, claiming Russia had attempted to interfere with or even influence the election outcome. 'Russia has attempted through cyber means to interfere in, if not actively influence, the outcome of an election,' she said, quoting one such claim. Trump applauds, Democrats push back Donald Trump quickly responded to Gabbard's claims, voicing his support through a post on Truth Social. "Great job by young and talented Harrison Fields on FoxNews. The Panel was fantastic on prosecuting Obama and the 'thugs' who have just been unequivocally exposed on highest level Election Fraud. Congratulations to Tulsi Gabbard. Keep it coming!!!" Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers issued swift and sharp rebuttals. Senator Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said, 'The Senate Intelligence Committee conducted a bipartisan investigation reviewing hundreds of thousands of documents and interviewing witnesses over several years. The unanimous, bipartisan conclusion was that Russia interfered in the 2016 election to benefit Donald Trump. This is just another example of the DNI trying to cook the books, rewrite history, and erode trust in the intelligence agencies she's supposed to be leading.' Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut also weighed in, 'Baseless accusations of treason are unfortunately par for the course for this Director of National Intelligence, but that doesn't make them any less damaging and unacceptable. The IC leaders in 2016 understood that they took an oath to the Constitution, not President Trump. I wish Director Gabbard could say the same.' Layers of investigation and conflicting reports Gabbard's claims arrive years after a slew of investigations into the Trump–Russia saga. The Senate Intelligence Committee, led by Republicans during Trump's presidency, conducted a three-year investigation concluding that Russia did mount an aggressive effort to sway the 2016 election. It found numerous contacts between Trump campaign aides and Russian officials but stopped short of confirming coordination. Former CIA Director John Ratcliffe also ordered a separate review. While that review criticised how the 2016 IC assessment was put together, it did not overturn its conclusions. Additionally, the Department of Justice's internal watchdog and Special Counsel John Durham investigated the origins of the FBI's Russia probe. Durham's inquiry led to three indictments, including one FBI lawyer who admitted to falsifying details in a surveillance warrant. But overall, the probe found no systemic wrongdoing. A deepening divide Gabbard insists this issue cuts across party lines. 'The issue I am raising is not a partisan issue. It is one that concerns every American,' she said. 'The American people's faith and trust in our democratic republic and therefore the future of our nation depends on it.' The Justice Department has not yet confirmed whether it will pursue the referrals. Clapper and Brennan did not respond to comment requests. James Comey declined to comment. With both political camps entrenched, the release of these documents may reopen old wounds—but whether it leads to prosecutions remains uncertain.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘Obama admin aimed to usurp Trump': DNI Tulsi Gabbard reopens 2016 election probe; vows to hand over all documents to DOJ
US director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has called for the prosecution of former President Barack Obama and senior members of his administration. The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) has accused them of working together to hurt Donald Trump 's win in the 2016 election and damage his presidency afterward. 'We are turning over all documents to the DOJ for criminal referral,' Gabbard wrote on X. 'Their goal was to usurp President Trump and subvert the will of the American people.' — DNIGabbard (@DNIGabbard) In a statement released Friday, Gabbard said there is "overwhelming evidence" showing that after Trump defeated Hillary Clinton, Obama and his national security cabinet "manufactured and politicised intelligence" to lay the foundation for what she described as a years-long coup attempt. 'The issue I am raising is not a partisan issue. It is one that concerns every American,' Gabbard said. 'The information we are releasing today clearly shows there was a treasonous conspiracy in 2016 committed by officials at the highest level of our government.' Powerful people mentioned in the statement Gabbard announced that all related documents would be handed over to the department of justice for criminal referral, urging that 'no matter how powerful, every person involved in this conspiracy must be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law'. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The statement names top officials, including then-DNI James Clapper, CIA director John Brennan, national security adviser Susan Rice, secretary of state John Kerry, attorney general Loretta Lynch, and FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe among those who participated in a high-level National Security Council meeting on December 9, 2016, at the White House. Gabbard alleges that this meeting was used to initiate a new Intelligence Community (IC) assessment at Obama's request, aimed at blaming Russia for interfering in the election. According to Gabbard, before the election, intelligence assessments had concluded that Russia was 'probably not trying … to influence the election by using cyber means'. An internal memo dated December 7, 2016 also stated, 'Foreign adversaries did not use cyberattacks on election infrastructure to alter the US Presidential election outcome.' However, following the White House meeting, Clapper's executive assistant reportedly directed agencies including the CIA, FBI, NSA and DHS to help prepare a fresh IC assessment on Russian interference, stating it was 'per the President's request'. Gabbard accused Obama officials of leaking 'false statements' to media outlets like The Washington Post, falsely claiming that Russia had interfered to influence the outcome of the election. A final Intelligence Community Assessment released on January 6, 2017, reportedly contradicted months of previous findings. She claimed that this new assessment relied on sources that officials knew were unreliable or 'manufactured', such as the now-discredited Steele Dossier. Gabbard said that this led to a wave of consequences, including the Mueller investigation, two impeachments of Trump, arrests of high-level officials, and heightened tensions with Russia. 'Their egregious abuse of power and blatant rejection of our Constitution threatens the very foundation and integrity of our democratic republic,' Gabbard said. 'The American people's faith and trust in our democratic republic and therefore the future of our nation depends on it.' Gabbard's move comes amid growing Republican scrutiny of the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation, and follows the recent release of new intelligence records under her office.
Bloomberg
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
America Is Losing Its Intelligence
Donald Trump increasingly employs America's vaunted spy services as the proverbial drunk uses lamp posts: for support rather than illumination. And that presents a huge, albeit slow-moving and often invisible, threat to national security. If the president and his spy masters keep signaling to spooks, agents and analysts throughout the so-called intelligence community (IC) that independent, honest, skeptical and apolitical assessments of threats and risks are out, while motivated reasoning and groupthink are in, the best people will leave and the worst will rise. Confidence in the IC's processes and output will decline, and allied countries will share less information. Attention will go to whatever preoccupies Trump, while other perils are ignored — dangers that, in time, may kill Americans.
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump Blasts Tulsi Gabbard as ‘Wrong' About Iran Nuclear Capabilities
President Donald Trump took direct aim at his Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Friday amid questions about how close Iran is to obtaining a nuclear weapon. The U.S. intelligence community has stood by its opinion that Iran has a large stockpile of enriched uranium but isn't close to building a nuclear weapon, but the president disputes that. A reporter asked the president what intelligence he had that Iran was building a weapon, because his intelligence community did not have evidence. 'Well then my intelligence community is wrong,' Trump said before asking the reporter who in his intelligence community had said that. When Gabbard was named, Trump blasted back: 'She's wrong.' It was the president's most direct criticism of his own director of national intelligence after he also told reporters on Tuesday he did not care what Gabbard had said about Iran's nuclear capabilities. Gabbard testified before Congress in March that Iran was not actively pursuing a nuclear weapon, but the president rejected that this week, and said he believes Iran is close to having a weapon. Earlier this week, the White House posted a video of Gabbard testifying on Iran, but it did not include her explicitly stating the U.S. intel community did not believe Iran was building a nuclear weapon. The president was speaking to reporters Friday afternoon after arriving in Morristown, New Jersey, to attend a Friday-evening fundraiser at his golf club. It was Trump's first public comment since he announced in a statement that he would make a decision on the U.S. getting involved in Iran within two weeks, as the conflict with Israel escalates. 'We're ready, willing, and able, and we've been speaking to Iran, and we'll see what happens,' Trump said. Trump indicated the two-week deadline was his decided-upon timeframe to see if people 'come to their senses.' Trump said he was open to a ceasefire while potential negotiations take place but did not call for one directly. 'It's very hard to stop,' Trump said. 'Israel's doing well in terms of war, and I think you would say that Iran is doing less well. It's a little bit hard to get somebody to stop.' The president would not talk about the possibility of sending in ground forces, but he did say it was the last thing he'd want to do. The president said he's 'always a peacemaker' but argued it doesn't mean you don't need 'toughness to make some peace.'
