Intel Officials Caught 'Attempting to Undermine' DNI Tulsi Gabbard 'from Within': Report

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard faces numerous adversaries on the global stage—but as it turns out, she’s also dealing with plenty of opposition from within her own ranks.

On Monday, conservative commentator Christopher Rufo exposed a clandestine chat room where employees of national intelligence agencies allegedly exchanged disturbing discussions, including unusual sexual interests and transgender-related advice.

In a post on X the following day, Rufo shed light on what he claimed was an effort within a National Security Agency (NSA) chat group to “undermine Gabbard from within.”

According to Rufo, those involved came from the NSA, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), and the United States Space Command. Despite working in different agencies, they appeared to share a collective hostility toward the former Hawaii congresswoman and ex-lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve.

“In a secret NSA chatroom, NSA, DNI, and SpaceCom officials claim that @TulsiGabbard is ‘fervently anti-queer,’ a ‘Russian agent,’ and a member of the MAGA ‘cult,’” Rufo stated.

“These employees, including at least one ‘they/them,’ are attempting to undermine Gabbard from within.”

For those familiar with Gabbard’s career—especially her contentious confirmation battle in the U.S. Senate—these accusations may sound eerily familiar. It’s almost as if they’ve been lifted straight from the Democratic establishment’s past attacks against her.

Gabbard, once seen as a rising Democratic star, even ran for the party’s presidential nomination in 2019. However, her divergence from party orthodoxy made her a frequent target of high-profile Democrats.

Once Trump selected her for the intelligence leadership role, resistance emerged almost immediately.

During her confirmation hearings, critics attempted to discredit her by painting her as a pawn of Russian President Vladimir Putin—just another effort to tarnish her reputation.

Now, if Rufo’s findings hold true, it seems that certain individuals within the intelligence community—some with deeply questionable personal interests—are reviving those same accusations. But this time, Gabbard holds the reins of power over them.

So, what’s a proud, personal-pronouns-using bureaucrat to do?

Gossip and conspire, naturally.

To be fair, there’s room for reasonable disagreement on Gabbard’s policy positions. Take, for instance, the case of former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. Many conservatives see Snowden—who revealed NSA secrets in 2013 and subsequently fled to Russia—as a traitor deserving of the harshest consequences.

Gabbard, on the other hand, has defended Snowden’s actions as exposing government overreach. As ABC reported, she even introduced legislation in Congress advocating for his clemency.

Still, aligning with former Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah on any issue is a dubious choice for most conservatives. And Gabbard? She famously clashed with him in a highly publicized dispute.

The truth is, however, that Gabbard’s independent views do not make her a “Russian agent,” just as her unwillingness to conform to the LGBT movement’s demands doesn’t make her “fervently anti-queer.”

She’s clearly a critical thinker—one who forms her own opinions rather than bowing to pressure. And that is exactly the type of leader Americans should want at the helm of national intelligence.

Ultimately, Gabbard was properly nominated, confirmed, and sworn in. She is entitled to the respect and loyalty of every intelligence official serving under her leadership.

Anyone unwilling to offer that respect should have the integrity to step aside—rather than waste time spreading complaints in secretive chat rooms for government employees with dubious personal inclinations.

This situation is all too familiar. The same kind of deep-state arrogance within the “intelligence community,” combined with deceptive Democratic power plays, played a central role in the first impeachment of President Donald Trump.

Gabbard already has enough global threats to contend with.

As for those discontented insiders, they’d be better off finding another occupation.