Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard said Tuesday night she is working to root out “deep state bad actors” in a bid to restore credibility to the U.S. intelligence community. Gabbard made the comments during an interview with Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle.
Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii, faced strong opposition from Senate Democrats during her confirmation process earlier this year. Now serving as President Donald Trump’s DNI, she is responding forcefully to renewed criticism, including a recent post on X by Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) calling for her removal.
“He has and continues to be a reliable soldier,” Gabbard said of Warner. “These very same tactics they are using now are the same tactics the warmongers of Washington have used against anyone who challenges the status quo.” She said such tactics are designed to silence dissent and obscure actions that don’t serve the American people.
Gabbard argued that much of what she sees as deep state manipulation is now being revealed to the public. “We’re seeing this revealed in real time,” she said. “We’ve got to use our common sense and recognize we should accept nothing they say at face value.”
Her remarks follow the declassification of documents related to the origins of the 2016 Russia investigation, which Gabbard authorized in July. The newly released files allege intelligence officials under the Obama administration sought to weaponize claims of Russian collusion against then-candidate Trump.
Critics, including some media outlets and Democrats, have dismissed the disclosures as political theater. But Gabbard said the pushback only reinforces the need for accountability. “Why am I considered a threat to national security? Because I’m exposing the truth,” she told host Laura Ingraham.
The former lawmaker said her mission goes beyond individual accountability. “It’s not only about rooting out bad actors,” Gabbard said. “We must reform these institutions so they can no longer be used to undermine our democracy.”
In a dramatic escalation, Gabbard announced last month she would refer former President Barack Obama to the Department of Justice for possible charges tied to the Russia investigation. On Monday, the DOJ confirmed it had opened a grand jury probe into the alleged conspiracy involving former Obama-era officials.