U.S. National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard appeared on Fox News Tuesday to discuss reports of CIA agents contemplating the sale of state secrets to foreign adversaries.
Gabbard’s remarks come in response to speculations that disgruntled agents, unhappy with the Department of Government Efficiency, might engage in espionage as a form of protest. During an appearance on “Jesse Watters Primetime,” Gabbard criticized certain elements within the CIA, accusing them of leveraging media connections to indirectly threaten national security.
“I am curious about how they think this is a good tactic to keep their job. They’re exposing themselves essentially by making this indirect threat using their propaganda arm through CNN that they’ve used over and over and over again to reveal their hand that their loyalty is not at all to America,” Gabbard said.
Gabbard said that these actions betray not only the trust of the American people but also the foundational principles of the Constitution.
“It is not to the American people or the Constitution. It is to themselves, and these are exactly the kind of people that we need to root out and get rid of so that the patriots who do work in this area, who are committed to our core mission, can actually focus on that,” Gabbard said.
Gabbard said that there are significant byproducts of addressing this issue head-on—increased transparency and accountability have led to more insiders coming forward.
“I got to tell you that one of the byproducts of what I just saw literally today is because of this immediate action of transparency and accountability. I have people within the intelligence community reaching out to me personally and directly saying, ‘Hey, you need to know about this,’” Gabbard said. “You need to look over here. People are stepping forward because they are all on board with the mission to clean house and refocus on our core mission of serving the American people.”
The CIA is reportedly considering its largest firing of officers in nearly half a century, targeting officers who handle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Details on the exact number of personnel affected remain uncertain.
In 1977, CIA Director Stansfield Turner dismissed 198 clandestine service officers, marking a significant reduction. Recently, in compliance with Trump’s DEI directive, the CIA has also dismantled several DEI-focused groups, the agency confirmed to the Caller.
Earlier this month, the CIA introduced a severance offer to all its employees, marking it as the first intelligence agency to propose such an exit strategy. According to Trump administration officials, this offer—consisting of approximately eight months of salary and benefits—is intended to facilitate the departure of those who may oppose the current administration’s policies.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screenshot/Fox News)
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