Gabbard vows to 'aggressively pursue' intel leakers

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the Trump administration would be “aggressively pursuing” people who leak information to journalists, accusing those sharing such information of being “politically motivated.”

“Our nation’s Intelligence Community must be focused on our national security mission. Politically motivated leaks undermine our national security and the trust of the American people, and will not be tolerated,” Gabbard wrote on X.

“Unfortunately, such leaks have become commonplace with no investigation or accountability. That ends now. We know of and are aggressively pursuing recent leakers from within the Intelligence Community and will hold them accountable.”

In her post on X, Gabbard named leading mainstream media outlets like The Washington Post, NBC News, HuffPost and national security publication The Record as having been on the receiving end of leaked sensitive information. The outlets did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The comment raises questions about the extent the Trump administration will wield its power to go after those that leak to the media.

Under the first Trump administration, Trump’s team went to extraordinary lengths to track down leakers, even clandestinely gaining access to phone and email records of journalists from three outlets in an attempt to weed out their source.

The effort was revealed when the Biden administration moved to end gag orders that had been placed on the communications companies, allowing for the alert of the news outlets. The Justice Department later updated its policy to limit the ability of prosecutors to tap journalist records, but that guidance can easily be rescinded.

Others in the Trump administration have similarly shared the president’s disdain for leakers. FBI Director Kash Patel has also suggested the administration would “come after” journalists as well, though he did not specify whether that would be in relation to leaks.

“We’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections,” Patel said in a 2023 podcast interview. “Whether it’s criminally or civilly, we’ll figure that out.”

Patel’s appointment to lead the FBI has sparked concern among press freedom groups and some of the nation’s top journalists who have said they fear the bureau could be used as a mechanism to intimidate critical press coverage of the administration.

Gabbard, however, has previously expressed sympathy for NSA leaker Edward Snowden, and during her time in Congress called on Trump to pardon him.

Gabbard has since shifted gears, saying her stance on Snowden was based on concern he did not have sufficient internal channels to act as a whistleblower.

In her X post, Gabbard provided little insight into why she felt the leaks were politically motivated.

She cited the sharing of classified information on Israel and Iran as well as the U.S.-Russia relationship. In one case she did not cite the specifics of a story, saying only that someone has been sharing information with the Huffington Post.

“Any unauthorized release of classified information is a violation of the law and will be treated as such,” she said.

Gabbard came to Trump’s administration as a public figure who was well-versed in the media ecosystem. She appeared regularly on cable news channels to advocate for the president along the campaign trail and was a Fox News contributor and fill-in host before joining the Republican party after serving nearly a decade in Congress as a Democrat.

Topics

Comparing Putin’s military aggressions with Hitler’s

Russian President Vladimir Putin's desire to reclaim the territory of the former USSR and his aggressive military buildup and propaganda efforts are similar to those of Hitler. The push for a ...
The Hill - 3d
Intel is the best chip stock this year in a surprising reversal

No one is expecting a miracle overnight. But investors and analysts are applauding the possibilities brought about by new Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan.
MarketWatch - 59m
Department of Homeland Security backs polygraph tests for suspected leakers

The Department of Homeland Security is using lie detector tests for agency employees to try to detect apparent leakers of classified information. Blake McConnell, a polygraph expert, joins CBS News ...
CBS News - 2d
Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira pleads guilty in court martial deal

Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira went through with a plea deal at a Thursday court martial, according to The Associated Press. Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, pleaded ...
The Hill - 21h
Intel’s stock is climbing. Here’s the latest hope for a rescue.

Reuters reports that TSMC has approached Nvidia, Broadcom and others about a joint venture that would run Intel’s factories. But that arrangement would face some roadblocks.
MarketWatch - 1d
Tulsi Gabbard pulls security clearances for top Biden officials and those who went after Trump

National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard said Monday she has stripped security clearances from dozens of former national security officials, the Manhattan district attorney who secured a felony ...
NBC News - 3d
Analysts love Intel’s CEO choice — but not enough to recommend buying the stock

Lip-Bu Tan is seen as a “transformative” leader who will move to cut costs. But both halves of Intel’s business require major fixes.
MarketWatch - 18h
Chiefs’ Xavier Worthy released after Texas DA declines to pursue charges

Kansas City wideout faced third-degree felony charge Worthy was taken in first round of last year’s draft Xavier Worthy was released Saturday after a district attorney in Texas declined to ...
The Guardian - 5d
An Intel deal now seems less likely. These clues may hold the key to its future.

Investors appear to be now be discounting recent M&A speculation that Intel will split in two.
MarketWatch - 6d