Misconduct and Disloyalty: Tulsi Gabbard's Twin Crises
Barely two weeks into her role, Ms. Gabbard is navigating a crisis that could define her oversight of the nation’s 18 spy agencies.
Tulsi Gabbard, the new director of national intelligence, is facing immediate tests of her leadership as she contends with misconduct within U.S. intelligence agencies and reports of potential disloyalty from fired employees. Barely two weeks into her role, Ms. Gabbard is navigating a crisis that could define her oversight of the nation’s 18 spy agencies.
The trouble began when Ms. Gabbard, confirmed by a 52-48 Senate vote on February 12, ordered the dismissal of over 100 intelligence officers this week. The firings targeted personnel from the Central Intelligence Agency and National Security Agency who had used Intelink, a classified messaging system, to exchange sexually explicit messages—a breach of security and ethics that Ms. Gabbard deemed intolerable. “Trust is nonnegotiable,” she said, justifying the purge of an apparatus with a nearly $100 billion budget.
The situation escalated on Wednesday with reports that some dismissed C.I.A. employees, now stripped of security clearances, might sell secrets to foreign adversaries in retaliation. “They’re exposing themselves,” Ms. Gabbard said in a statement. “Their loyalty is not at all to America.” While no leaks have been confirmed, the threat has raised alarms about vulnerabilities under her watch.
Ms. Gabbard, 43, a former Hawaii congresswoman and Army Reserve officer, has positioned herself as a reformer intent on cleansing a system she views as flawed. Her backers, like Senator Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, praise her resolve. “She’s tackling rot head-on,” he said. Yet critics, including ex-C.I.A. director John Brennan, caution that her sweeping actions could destabilize operations. “Mass firings risk chaos,” Mr. Brennan noted.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence offered little comment, saying only, “We are addressing the situation.” For Ms. Gabbard, the stakes are clear: restore discipline or face a deepening crisis. Her early moves signal boldness, but the outcome remains uncertain as she balances authority with the fallout of her decisions.
