The Director of National Intelligence did not stop there. She called out two of Washington’s most notorious intelligence figures—former CIA Director John Brennan and former DNI James Clapper. According to Gabbard, these men “have caused, really, immeasurable harm to the American people and to our country.”
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Gabbard has become a central figure in the Trump administration’s efforts to remove security privileges from officials believed to be actively working against the president. In recent weeks, she has stepped up those efforts dramatically.
Just last week, Gabbard announced that she had revoked security clearances for 37 former officials, including James Clapper himself, after reviewing their roles in weaponizing intelligence for political purposes. A memo released by her office pointed directly to Clapper’s involvement in rushing an intelligence assessment back in 2016 that suggested Trump had benefited from so-called Russian interference.
In a powerful statement shared on X, Gabbard reminded Americans of what’s at stake: “Being entrusted with a security clearance is a privilege, not a right. Those in the Intelligence Community who betray their oath to the Constitution and put their own interests ahead of the interests of the American people have broken the sacred trust they promised to uphold.”
The list of names stripped of their access is a who’s who of the deep state establishment. It includes Brett M. Holmgren, a former State Department intelligence official; Richard H. Ledgett, one-time NSA deputy director; Stephanie O’Sullivan, who previously served as deputy director of National Intelligence; and Luke R. Hartig, a former senior counterterrorism advisor at the National Security Council, according to Fox News.
For years, Trump has insisted that the 2020 election was stolen, and his push to contest the results in several battleground states became the basis for the January 6th investigation and multiple indictments targeting him. Now, the emergence of hidden FBI documents could add a new dimension to those claims.
Gabbard made it clear that her actions to strip former officials of their clearances were not taken lightly. She emphasized that the decision was carried out at the direction of President Trump himself.
“Our Intelligence Community must be committed to upholding the values and principles enshrined in the US Constitution and maintain a laser-like focus on our mission of ensuring the safety, security and freedom of the American people,” Gabbard declared on X.
The discovery of secret election documents, combined with the crackdown on former intelligence insiders, signals a major turning point. With Gabbard leading the charge, Trump’s administration appears determined to shine a light on what many believe has been one of the darkest chapters in American politics.
