Tulsi Taking Charge
Tulsi Gabbard, a former Dem and independent thinker on NatSec matters, predictably had trouble getting through the Senate. Then she got off to a bit of a rough start as DNI, thanks to Waltz’s SignalChat sharing with Jeffrey Goldberg. Nevertheless she fought her way through and is starting to look like the DNI we all hoped for—one of Trump’s best appointments. Today she demonstrated that she’s in charge at ODNI, not just cleaning house but also reorganizing the house to insure the flow of reliable intel to Trump.
Senior intelligence officials told Fox News Digital DNI Gabbard is moving the National Intelligence Council to ODNI
Gabbard fired Mike Collins, who was serving as the acting chair of the National Intelligence Council, and his deputy, Maria Langan-Riekhof, Tuesday, senior intelligence officials told Fox News Digital.
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Collins also has whistleblower complaints against him for political bias and "deliberately undermining the incoming Trump administration," officials said.
They added that Collins was closely associated with Michael Morrell, the former deputy director of the CIA who worked to write a public letter in 2020 claiming that Hunter Biden's laptop had "all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation," and to get signatures from top ex-intelligence officials.
As for Langan-Reikhof, officials said she has been a "key advocate" for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and is someone who whistleblowers allege is "radically opposed to Trump."
Meanwhile, Gabbard is moving the National Intelligence Council from the CIA to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to "directly hold accountable any improper action and politicization of intelligence," Fox News Digital has learned.
I’m not sure exactly what that last bit means, re the move from CIA. It sounds a bit like Tulsi doesn’t think she can count on CIA Director Ratcliffe to enforce the kind of accountability she’s looking for.
The moves come as Gabbard has taken steps to root out leakers and alleged "deep state holdovers" who officials say are politicizing intelligence analysis and "trying to sabotage President Trump’s agenda."
So far, Gabbard has referred three intelligence community professionals to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution over alleged leaks of classified information. Fox News Digital first reported on those criminal referrals in April.
An ODNI official at that time told Fox News Digital that the intelligence community professionals allegedly leaked classified information to the Washington Post and The New York Times.
You’d think the GOP controlled Senate would be pleased with Tulsi’s businesslike approach, especially the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, led by Tom Cotton and Mark Warner. But such may not be the case. Tulsi may be too independent and too loyal to Trump for their tastes:
All the while, officials have complained about the hold up in confirming intelligence nominees, which they say are "essential" to enacting the Trump agenda.
Currently, ODNI is without its nominees for principal deputy director of national intelligence; National Counterterrorism Center; National Counterintelligence and Security Center; intelligence inspector general; and general counsel; among others.
Sen Tom Cotton is a warmonger extraordinaire. He has combined forces with Graham and McCain, who speaks from the grave, to advocate for bombing Iran. He, along with Levin and others, are certain Iran is ready to use nuclear weapons to wipe out Israel, so preemptive action is needed. Never mind that Iran is many times larger than Iraq and significantly better defended, and the U.S. couldn’t subdue Iraq.
Gabbard better be careful as there are many who don’t want the IC gravy train to end. The enormous black budgets and Mission Impossible/James Bond movies type action are attractive to these ghouls who never met a foreign leader they didn’t think shouldn’t be assassinated or bombed into submission.
Sadly, the task of reform of the IC is beyond anyone’s capabilities.
I place so much hope in Tulsi and so far she has exceeded expectations.