The intelligence community is expressing heightened concern over an outsider potentially gaining unprecedented access to national secrets. President-elect Donald Trump’s decision to nominate Lt. Col. Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) has provoked widespread backlash from Democrats, the liberal media, and elements of the intelligence establishment.
This controversy follows a familiar pattern: Trump announces a nominee aligned with his campaign promises, the establishment panics, and attacks follow in an effort to derail the confirmation process. Similar reactions have accompanied other nominations, such as Matt Gaetz, Pete Hegseth, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Critics in the Media Sound the Alarm
Lt. Col. Gabbard’s nomination has faced particularly intense scrutiny. Tom Nichols of The Atlantic labeled her a “national security risk,” citing her past statements about NATO and Syria. “Gabbard is a classic case of ‘horseshoe’ politics,” Nichols argued. “Her views can seem both extremely left and extremely right, which is probably why people such as Tucker Carlson — a conservative who has turned into … whatever pro-Russia right-wingers are called now — have taken a liking to the former Democrat (who was previously a Republican and is now again a member of the GOP).”
Tom Rogan of the Washington Examiner echoed similar concerns, stating that Gabbard’s appointment signals Trump’s distrust of the intelligence community. Rogan warned, She would supervise all U.S. intelligence agencies’ collection, analysis, and mission efforts and the production and dissemination of the U.S. government’s most sensitive intelligence reporting and analysis.
A Global Ripple Effect
The skepticism isn’t confined to domestic circles. Former CIA Director John Brennan, speaking on MSNBC, likened the U.S. intelligence apparatus to an orchestra, insinuating that Gabbard lacks the expertise to lead such a complex organization. “This appointment is sending shock waves here in the United States but also around the globe,” Brennan declared.
Other prominent critics, like former Bush adviser John Bolton, have described the nomination as a reckless choice. Bolton told NewsNation’s The Hill, “announcement of Tulsi Gabbard to be the director of national intelligence, he’s sending a signal that we have lost our mind when it comes to collecting intelligence.”
Unnamed sources within the intelligence community have expressed even harsher concerns. One senior official told Politico the choice represented “a left turn and off the bridge,” while others feared that allies such as Israel and the UK might withhold vital intelligence.
Political Fallout Among Lawmakers and Former Officials
Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), a former CIA officer and current member of the House Intelligence Committee, questioned Gabbard’s loyalty to the intelligence mission. “The men and women of the U.S. Intelligence community honor their oaths by collecting the vital intelligence that keeps our fellow Americans safe. The global threats we face require a Director of National Intelligence who would do the same. Tulsi Gabbard is not that person,” she wrote on X.
Another intelligence expert warned in The Hill, “The DNI has access to every single secret that the United States has, every single bit of information that we know. … It’s the keys to the intelligence community kingdom.”
Dissent Rooted in Policy Differences
While critics have scrutinized Gabbard’s foreign policy positions and past statements, supporters argue this backlash stems from her opposition to the entrenched foreign policy establishment. Larry Pfeiffer, a former CIA chief of staff, voiced unease about her views, stating, “Some of the statements she has made through the years that sound like they came right out of the Kremlin’s talking points paper are a little bit alarming.”
Adding to this, Jamil Jaffer, a former House Intelligence Committee staffer, highlighted concerns about Gabbard’s track record. “What is unusual here is you’ve got somebody who’s had such a long and vociferous track record of saying things that are factually incorrect, that seem to give aid and comfort to U.S. adversaries and that undermine the very people they should be representing at the principals committee,” Jaffer said.
As Trump pushes forward with his nomination of Tulsi Gabbard for DNI, the polarized response highlights deeper fractures within Washington’s political and intelligence communities. Gabbard’s confirmation battle is likely to serve as a litmus test for Trump’s broader efforts to overhaul America’s intelligence apparatus.
