Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is taking bold action against misconduct in the intelligence community, removing employees engaged in inappropriate behavior while on the job and exposing those she says are openly working against the interests of the American people.
Speaking on Fox News, Gabbard responded to reports that certain CIA agents are threatening to leak classified information in response to changes under the Trump administration. She accused these officials of using the media to push their agenda, pointing specifically to CNN. “They’re exposing themselves,” she said, calling their statements an “indirect threat” to national security.
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Gabbard emphasized that her goal is to clean out bad actors and restore the agencies to their intended purpose. She noted that her crackdown has already encouraged whistleblowers within the intelligence community to come forward with more information. According to her, insiders are now reaching out directly, wanting to assist in the effort to eliminate corruption.
At the same time, Gabbard is overseeing the termination of over 100 intelligence staffers who were caught participating in explicit chats on a government-run intranet system. The discussions, hosted on channels labeled “LBTQA” and “IC_Pride_TWG,” were maintained by the National Security Agency. She confirmed the chats were taken offline as soon as President Donald Trump’s executive order dismantling diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies was implemented.
In a directive sent to intelligence agencies, Gabbard ordered the identification of those involved and called for the immediate removal of their security clearances. Deputy Chief of Staff Alexa Henning reinforced this action, stating that the deadline for termination was set for Friday. Gabbard described the chatrooms as “disgusting” and said there was no place in the intelligence community for employees misusing government resources for personal activities.
fThe CIA is also planning widespread staff reductions, focusing on those tied to DEI initiatives. This follows a similar move in 1977 when nearly 200 clandestine officers were dismissed. In an effort to further streamline the workforce, the agency recently introduced a severance package, allowing employees who oppose Trump’s policies to leave with eight months of pay and benefits.
