Latest news with #Gabbard
New York Post
2 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Meghan McCain calls CNN's Kaitlan Collins a ‘hack' and ‘imbecile,' demands she be stripped of WH credentials
Meghan McCain is calling for CNN Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins to have her press credentials revoked, calling her an 'absolute imbecile' and a 'pure partisan hack' following a tense exchange during a White House press briefing. McCain's criticism comes after Collins clashed with Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday. 'Kaitlan Collins is an absolute imbecile and a pure partisan hack,' the podcast host and conservative commentator wrote on her X account on Wednesday. Advertisement 5 Meghan McCain is calling for CNN Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins to have her press credentials revoked. Citizen McCain with Meghan McCain 'Have some respect for the two women standing in front of you who are exposing lies, deep corruption and keeping the country safe. The White House should pull her credentials.' During the briefing, Gabbard introduced a new trove of declassified documents meant to support President Donald Trump's long-standing accusation that former President Barack Obama and his top officials committed 'treason' by manipulating intelligence related to Russia's involvement in the 2016 election. Collins pressed Gabbard, suggesting political motivation behind the timing of the release and referencing past Trump criticisms of Gabbard's intelligence assessments — particularly as they relate to Iran's nuclear program. Advertisement Trump dismissed Gabbard's assertion earlier this year that the Iranian government was not pursuing nuclear weapons. The president ordered the bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities. 'What would you say to people who believe that you're only releasing these documents now to improve your standing with the president after he said that your intelligence assessments were wrong?' Collins asked. Advertisement Leavitt swiftly interjected and Gabbard rejected the premise of the question. 5 Collins on Wednesday grilled Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Fox News 'First, I want to correct something that you stated, which was citing the Senate Intelligence Committee's report as being one and the same. I think you said the intelligence community,' Gabbard said. 'The Senate Intelligence Committee has a very different function than the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The evidence and the intelligence that has been declassified and released is irrefutable. I'm going to let Caroline speak to Secretary Rubio.' Advertisement Leavitt expanded on that point, criticizing the previous intelligence narrative and defending the administration. Every morning, the NY POSTcast offers a deep dive into the headlines with the Post's signature mix of politics, business, pop culture, true crime and everything in between. Subscribe here! 'The only people who are suggesting that the director of national intelligence would release evidence to try to boost her standing with the president are the people in this room who constantly try to sow distrust and chaos amongst the president's cabinet. And it is not working,' Leavitt said. 'I am with the President of the United States every day,' she added. 'He has the utmost confidence in Director Gabbard. He always has. He continues to, and that is true of his entire cabinet, who is all working as one team to deliver on the promises this president made.' Collins stood her ground and doubled down. 'Who has said that? Well, the president has publicly undermined her when it came to Iran. He said she was wrong. He told me that she didn't know what she was talking about. That was on Air Force One, on camera,' Collins said. 5 Collins has frequently clashed with Trump administration officials and the president himself. Bloomberg via Getty Images McCain was not impressed, quickly responding online with a harsh rebuke. The former co-host of 'The View' and daughter of the late Sen. John McCain has in recent years gone from a vocal critic of Gabbard to an ally. Advertisement At the center of the exchange was a years-long dispute over Russian interference in the 2016 election and the origins of the collusion narrative. During the briefing, Collins asked Gabbard: 'Are you saying that [Marco Rubio] is wrong in that statement that he made then?' referring to a 2017 report signed by Rubio and other Senate Republicans stating that while no collusion was found, Russia had meddled in the election. Leavitt responded: 'We found irrefutable evidence of Russian meddling, which the director of national intelligence just confirmed for all of you that Russia was trying to sow distrust and chaos.' Advertisement 'But what's the outrage in this… is the fact that the intelligence community was concocting this narrative that the president colluded with the Russians… all of these lies that were never true.' She continued by referencing the discredited Steele dossier: 'The president's son was holding secret meetings with the Russian, all of these lies… It was cooked up and paid for by the Clinton campaign.' 5 The CNN anchor pressed Gabbard and Leavitt about DNI's recent assessment about the 2016 Russia investigation. Fox News The Post has sought comment from CNN. Advertisement Collins' confrontational questioning style has repeatedly drawn pushback from Trump officials. In April, she pressed Trump in the Oval Office over the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia despite a Supreme Court order, prompting Trump to accuse her of lacking credibility and dismiss CNN as biased. 5 During the briefing, Gabbard was asked about President Donald Trump's long-standing accusation that former President Barack Obama and his top officials committed 'treason.' AFP via Getty Images Trump has frequently interrupted or excluded Collins from events, including a widely criticized incident in 2018 where she was barred from covering a White House press event after pressing on Russia-related questions. Advertisement The adversarial dynamic has extended beyond the Oval Office. During a CNN town hall in New Hampshire, Collins' aggressive questioning led Trump to call her a 'nasty person.'
Indian Express
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Trump calls Tulsi Gabbard ‘hottest in the room'. It has a Obama connection
US President Donald Trump called Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard 'the hottest' during a reception with Republican lawmakers at the White House on Tuesday. The remark came a day after Gabbard filed a criminal referral to the Department of Justice (DOJ), accusing former President Barack Obama and his top intelligence officials of a 'treasonous conspiracy' to undermine Trump's 2016 election victory. 'She's like, hotter than everybody. She's the hottest one in the room right now,' Trump said. Turning to House Speaker Mike Johnson, he added, 'Speaker, she's hotter than you right now, speaker. She's the hottest person in the room right now, speaker.' Trump also praised Gabbard's move to hold the Obama-era officials accountable, saying, '[Gabbard] found out that Barack Hussein Obama led a group of people and they cheated in the elections and they cheated without question. She has all the documents, she has everything that you need. You've found things that nobody thought we'd ever find. Very happy and very honoured to have you with us. We're very proud of you, Tulsi.' 🚨President Trump: 'Where's Tulsi? She's the hottest one on the room right now, because she found out with certainty…Barack Hussein Obama led a group of people, they cheated without question!' — Derrick Evans (@DerrickEvans4WV) July 23, 2025 The report, which was recently made public, claims to uncover Obama-era communications that show attempts to manipulate the outcome of the 2016 elections. It points that there was no tampering with vote totals, but implies that the lack of direct interference undermines broader findings of Russian involvement with conclusions that several bipartisan investigations have upheld. Trump praised Gabbard's revelations, stating, 'Tulsi, great job, and I know you have a lot more coming.' He also renewed his accusations against former President Obama, calling the effort to tie him to Russia a 'treasonous conspiracy' aimed at sabotaging his 2016 campaign. The report claims the Obama administration's intelligence figures manufactured the narrative that Trump had colluded with Russia, describing it as the 'groundwork' for a years-long coup attempt against the Trump presidency. However, between 2019 and 2023, four independent watchdog investigations confirmed that Russia did interfere in the 2016 election. Trump, throughout his presidency, dismissed those findings as a 'hoax.' Responding to the renewed claims, Obama's spokesperson Patrick Rodenbush issued a rare statement: 'Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response. But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one. These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.'
Fox News
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
DOJ forms Russiagate 'strike force' to investigate declassified Obama-era evidence
Print Close By Brooke Singman Published July 24, 2025 The Justice Department has formed a "strike force" to assess the evidence publicized by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard relating to former President Obama and his top national security and intelligence officials' involvement in the origins of the Trump-Russia collusion narrative. The DOJ, on Wednesday evening, announced the formation of the "strike force," to investigate potential next legal steps which may stem from Gabbard's recent declassification of records suggesting that Obama administration officials "manufactured" intelligence to form the narrative that then-candidate Donald Trump was colluding with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election. Justice Department officials told Fox News Digital that the DOJ takes the alleged weaponization of the intelligence community with "the utmost seriousness." A source familiar with the strike force told Fox News Digital that everything is being reviewed and that no serious lead is off the table. The source told Fox News Digital that the National Security Division of the Justice Department will "likely be involved in the investigation." BRENNAN DIRECTED PUBLICATION OF 'IMPLAUSIBLE' REPORTS CLAIMING PUTIN PREFERRED TRUMP IN 2016, HOUSE FOUND "The Department of Justice is proud to work with my friend Director Gabbard and we are grateful for her partnership in delivering accountability for the American people," Attorney General Pam Bondi said. "We will investigate these troubling disclosures fully and leave no stone unturned to deliver justice," she said. The strike force consists of teams made up of investigators and prosecutors that focus on "the worst offenders engaged in fraudulent activities, including, chiefly, health care fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, bank fraud, money laundering offenses, false statements offenses," and more, according to the DOJ. The formation of the strike force comes after a slew of developments related to the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation. RUSSIA SAT ON INTEL OF HILLARY CLINTON'S ALLEGED 'HEAVY TRANQUILIZERS' USE, NEW DOCS CLAIM Earlier this month, CIA Director John Ratcliffe sent a criminal referral for former CIA Director John Brennan to the FBI. The referral came after Ratcliffe declassified a "lessons learned" review of the creation of the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA). The 2017 ICA alleged Russia sought to influence the 2016 presidential election to help then-candidate Donald Trump. But the review found that the process of the ICA's creation was rushed with "procedural anomalies," and that officials diverted from intelligence standards. It also determined that the "decision by agency heads to include the Steele Dossier in the ICA ran counter to fundamental tradecraft principles and ultimately undermined the credibility of a key judgment." The dossier — an anti-Trump document filled with unverified and wholly inaccurate claims that was commissioned by Fusion GPS and paid for by Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign and the DNC — has been widely discredited. Last week's review marks the first time career CIA officials have acknowledged politicization of the process by which the ICA was written, particularly by Obama-era political appointees. Records declassified as part of that review further revealed that Brennan did, in fact, push for the dossier to be included in the 2017 ICA. FBI Director Kash Patel received the criminal referral and opened an investigation into Brennan. Patel also opened a criminal investigation into former FBI Director James Comey. The full scope of the criminal investigations into Brennan and Comey is unclear, but two sources described the FBI's view of the duo's interactions as a "conspiracy," which could open up a wide range of potential prosecutorial options. The FBI and CIA declined to comment. Neither Brennan nor Comey immediately responded to Fox News Digital's request for comment. Days later, Gabbard declassified documents revealing "overwhelming evidence" that demonstrated how, after President Donald Trump won the 2016 election against Hillary Clinton, then-President Barack Obama and his national security team laid the groundwork for what would be the yearslong Trump–Russia collusion probe. OBAMA OFFICIALS ADMITTED THEY HAD NO 'EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE' OF TRUMP-RUSSIA COLLUSION: HOUSE INTEL TRANSCRIPTS Gabbard said the documents revealed that Obama administration officials "manufactured and politicized intelligence" to create the narrative that Russia was attempting to influence the 2016 presidential election, despite information from the intelligence community stating otherwise. The new documents name former President Barack Obama, top officials in his National Security Council, then-Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, then-CIA Director John Brennan, then-National Security Advisor Susan Rice, then-Secretary of State John Kerry, then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and then-Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, among others. Gabbard, on Monday, sent a criminal referral to the Justice Department related to those findings. DOJ officials did not share further details on whom the criminal referral was for. And on Wednesday, Gabbard declassified documents that showed that the intelligence community did not have any direct information that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to help elect Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election, but, at the "unusual" direction of then-President Barack Obama, published "potentially biased" or "implausible" intelligence suggesting otherwise. That information came from a report prepared by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence back in 2020. The report, which was based on an investigation launched by former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., was dated Sept. 18, 2020. At the time of the publication of the report, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., was the chairman of the committee. The report has never before been released to the public, and instead, has remained highly classified within the intelligence community. Meanwhile, Fox News Digital, in 2020, exclusively obtained the declassified transcripts from Obama-era national security officials' closed-door testimonies before the House Intelligence Committee, in which those officials testified that they had no "empirical evidence" of a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia in the 2016 election, but continued to publicly push the "narrative" of collusion. The House Intelligence Committee, in 2017, conducted depositions of top Obama intelligence officials, including Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, National Security Advisor Susan Rice and Attorney General Loretta Lynch, among others. OBAMA DENIES TRUMP'S 'BIZARRE ALLEGATIONS' THAT HE WAS RUSSIAGATE 'RINGLEADER' IN RARE STATEMENT The officials' responses in the transcripts of those interviews align with the results of former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation — which found no evidence of criminal coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia in 2016, while not reaching a determination on obstruction of justice. The transcripts, from 2017 and 2018, revealed top Obama officials were questioned by House Intelligence Committee lawmakers and investigators about whether they had or had seen evidence of such collusion, coordination or conspiracy — the issue that drove the FBI's initial case and later the special counsel probe. "I never saw any direct empirical evidence that the Trump campaign or someone in it was plotting/conspiring with the Russians to meddle with the election," Clapper testified in 2017. "That's not to say that there weren't concerns about the evidence we were seeing, anecdotal evidence.... But I do not recall any instance where I had direct evidence." Lynch also said she did "not recall that being briefed up to me." "I can't say that it existed or not," Lynch said, referring to evidence of collusion, conspiracy or coordination. But Clapper and Lynch, and then Vice President Joe Biden, were present in the Oval Office July 28, 2016, when Brennan briefed Obama and Comey on intelligence he'd received from one of Hillary Clinton's campaign foreign policy advisors "to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by the Russian security service." "We're getting additional insight into Russian activities from (REDACTED)," Brennan's handwritten notes, exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital in October 2020, read. "CITE (summarizing) alleged approved by Hillary Clinton a proposal from one of her foreign policy advisers to vilify Donald Trump by stirring up a scandal claiming interference by the Russian security service." Meanwhile, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power, according to the transcript of her interview to the House Intelligence Committee, was asked whether she had or saw any evidence of collusion or conspiracy. OBAMA ADMIN 'MANUFACTURED' INTELLIGENCE TO CREATE 2016 RUSSIAN ELECTION INTERFERENCE NARRATIVE, DOCUMENTS SHOW Power replied: "I am not in possession of anything — I am not in possession and didn't read or absorb information that came from out of the intelligence community." When asked again, she said: "I am not." Rice was asked the same question. "To the best of my recollection, there wasn't anything smoking, but there were some things that gave me pause," she said, according to her transcribed interview, in response to whether she had any evidence of conspiracy. "I don't recall intelligence that I would consider evidence to that effect that I saw… conspiracy prior to my departure." When asked whether she had any evidence of "coordination," Rice replied: "I don't recall any intelligence or evidence to that effect." Meanwhile, former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe was not asked that specific question but rather questions about the accuracy and legitimacy of the unverified anti-Trump dossier compiled by ex-British intelligence officer Christopher Steele. McCabe was asked during his interview in 2017 what was the most "damning or important piece of evidence in the dossier that" he "now knows is true." McCabe replied: "We have not been able to prove the accuracy of all the information." "You don't know if it's true or not?" a House investigator asked, to which McCabe replied: "That's correct." OBAMA OFFICIALS USED DOSSIER TO PROBE, BRIEF TRUMP DESPITE KNOWING IT WAS UNVERIFIED 'INTERNET RUMOR' After Trump's 2016 victory and during the presidential transition period, Comey briefed Trump on the now-infamous anti-Trump dossier, containing salacious allegations of purported coordination between Trump and the Russian government. Brennan was present for that briefing, which took place at Trump Tower in New York City in January 2017. The dossier was authored by Steele. It was funded by Clinton's presidential campaign and the Democratic National Committee through the law firm Perkins Coie. But Brennan and Comey knew of intelligence suggesting Clinton, during the campaign, was stirring up a plan to tie Trump to Russia, documents claim. It is unclear whether the intelligence community, at the time, knew that the dossier was paid for by Clinton and the DNC. The Obama-era officials have been mum on the new revelations, but a spokesman for Obama on Tuesday made a rare public statement. FBI LAUNCHES CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS OF JOHN BRENNAN, JAMES COMEY: DOJ SOURCES "Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response," Obama spokesman Patrick Rodenbush said in a statement. "But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction," Obama's spokesman continued. "Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes." He added: "These findings were affirmed in a 2020 report by the bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee, led by then-Chairman Marco Rubio." Print Close URL
Fox News
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Gabbard gives major update on DOJ's role in investigating Trump-Russia collusion 'hoax' and more top headlines
1. Gabbard claims 'deep state actors' didn't want Trump-Russia information to 'see the light of day' 2. New Russiagate evidence 'directly' points to Obama, Gabbard says 3. Bryan Kohberger speaks three words when given chance to explain his actions LOST LIGHT – Police make tragic discovery in search for grad student who vanished after bar visit. Continue reading … 'WE GOT HIM' – Rioter accused of throwing rocks at federal agents arrested at border. Continue reading … MOTHER FIGHTS BACK – Mom of MS-13 murder victim confronts senator at hearing. Continue reading … DECLASSIFIED – Seven bombshell revelations from newly released MLK assassination documents. Continue reading … -- KLAIN TO FAME – Ex-Biden chief of staff Ron Klain faces grilling in House GOP's cover-up probe. Continue reading … CAMPUS CAVES – Trump forces Ivy League giant to pay in record antisemitism settlement. Continue reading … IN THE SPOTLIGHT – House panel directs chairman to subpoena Bill and Hillary Clinton in Epstein probe. Continue reading … EYES ON THE TOP – Teamsters' boss says 'no secret' where union stands on Trump tariffs. Continue reading … LIBERAL ECHO CHAMBER – 'Late Show' became haven for anti-Trump media figures during Colbert's run as host. Continue reading … OBSTRUCTED 'VIEW' – Joy Behar's latest Trump attack prompts White House warning about show's future. Continue reading … RESISTANCE THEATER – Broadway star touts racial recasting of 1930s-era musical, makes eyebrow-raising remark. Continue reading … SOCIALIST SHOWDOWN – Jewish actor refuses to flee if 'bulls--- artist' wins NYC mayor race this year. Continue reading … HUGH HEWITT – Morning Glory: President Trump and the next six months – the second reconciliation. Continue reading … CAROL ROTH – Good economic data is bad news for Trump's interest rate push. Continue reading … -- UNBREAKABLE BOND – Inside Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne's enduring love and what's next for her. Continue reading … SNOOZE BREW – This morning hack gives luxury 'hotel vibes' but experts say sip with caution. Continue reading … AMERICAN CULTURE QUIZ – Test yourself on fruit frontiers and star-spangled symbols. Take the quiz here … HAUNTING HISTORY – Black Death victims found beneath popular London tourist spot in surprising discovery. Continue reading … THE 'BEAR' TRUTH – Town holds bear-encounter drills in light of recent attacks. See video … TULSI GABBARD – The deep state actors don't want this info to see the light of day. See video … PAUL MAURO – Bryan Kohberger is dead in his soul for being impassive during family testimonies. See video … Tune in to the FOX NEWS RUNDOWN PODCAST for today's in-depth reporting on the news that impacts you. Check it out ... What's it looking like in your neighborhood? Continue reading… Thank you for making us your first choice in the morning! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Friday.
NDTV
4 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
'Unshakable Proof': Intelligence Chief Gabbard On Trump-Russia Probe
Washington: As the national intelligence director, Tulsi Gabbard is responsible for guarding America's secrets and discovering threats from overseas. But when she made a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room Wednesday, her targets were President Donald Trump's political enemies. Escalating her attempts to undermine the long-settled conclusion that Russia tried to help Trump beat Hillary Clinton for the presidency nearly a decade ago, she unspooled what she called unshakable proof that then-President Barack Obama and his advisers plotted nothing short of a coup. "They conspired to subvert the will of the American people," she said, claiming they fabricated evidence to taint Trump's victory. Little of what she said was new, and much of it was baseless. Gabbard said her investigation into the former Democratic administration was designed to stop the weaponization of national security institutions, but it spurred more questions about her own independence atop a spying system intended to provide unvarnished intelligence. Gabbard, a former Democratic congresswoman from Hawaii who ran for president herself before joining Trump's idiosyncratic political ecosystem, seemed prepared to use her presentation to burnish her own standing. She was trailed by her cinematographer husband, who held a video camera to capture the moment. And Trump, who had previously expressed public doubts about Gabbard's analysis of Iran's nuclear program, appeared satisfied. He posted a video of her remarks, pinning them at the top of his social media feed. It was a display that cemented Gabbard's role as one of Trump's chief agents of retribution, delivering official recognition of Trump's grievances about the Russia investigation that shadowed his first term. The focus on a years-old scandal also served Trump's attempts to shift attention from the Jeffrey Epstein case and questions about the president's own association with an abuser of underage girls. During her White House remarks, Gabbard said she has referred the documents to the Justice Department to consider for a possible criminal investigation. Hours later, the department announced the creation of a "strike force" to investigate the findings. Obama's post-presidential office declined to comment Wednesday but issued a rare response a day earlier. "These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction," said Patrick Rodenbush, an Obama spokesman. The White House rejected questions about the timing of Gabbard's revelations and whether they were designed to curry favor with Trump or distract attention from the administration's handling of files relating to Epstein. Still, Trump was quick to reward Gabbard's loyalty this week, calling her "the hottest person in the room." On Wednesday, she released a report by the Republican staff of the House Intelligence Committee produced during the first Trump administration. It did not dispute that Russia interfered in the 2016 election, but cites what it says were trade craft failings in the assessment reached by the intelligence community that Russian President Vladimir Putin influenced the election because he intended for Trump to win. Gabbard went beyond some conclusions of the report in describing its findings from the White House podium. She, along with the report, also seized on the fact that a dossier including uncorroborated tips and salacious gossip about Trump's ties to Russia was referenced in a classified version annex of an intelligence community assessment released in 2017 that detailed Russia's interference. The dossier was not the basis for the FBI's decision to open an investigation in July 2016 into potential coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia, but Trump supporters have seized on the unverified innuendo in the document to try to undercut the broader probe. Gabbard said she didn't know why the documents weren't released during Trump's first administration. Her office did not respond to questions about the timing of the release. Responding to a question from a reporter about Gabbard's motivations, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt accused journalists of looking for a story where there wasn't one. "The only people who are suggesting that she would release evidence to boost her standing are the people in this room," Leavitt said. Trump, however, has said he wants the media, and the public, to focus on Gabbard's report and not his ties to Epstein. "We caught Hillary Clinton. We caught Barack Hussein Obama ... you ought take a look at that and stop talking about nonsense," Trump said Tuesday. CIA Director John Ratcliffe served briefly as director of national intelligence during Trump's first term but did not release any of the information declassified by Gabbard. The CIA declined to comment on Gabbard's remarks Wednesday. Gabbard told Congress in April that Iran wasn't actively seeking a nuclear weapon, and Trump dismissed her assessment just before US strikes on Iran. "I don't care what she said," Trump said in June on Air Force One when asked about Gabbard's testimony. Gabbard recently shared her findings about the Russia investigation in an Oval Office meeting with Trump, according to two administration officials who requested anonymity to discuss a private conversation. Afterward, one of the officials said, Trump expressed satisfaction that Gabbard's findings aligned with his own beliefs. On Friday, Gabbard's office released a report that downplayed the extent of Russian interference in the 2016 election by highlighting Obama administration emails showing officials had concluded before and after the presidential race that Moscow had not hacked state election systems to manipulate votes in Trump's favor. But Obama's Democratic administration never suggested otherwise, even as it exposed other means by which Russia interfered in the election, including through a massive hack-and-leak operation of Democratic emails by intelligence operatives working with WikiLeaks, as well as a covert influence campaign aimed at swaying public opinion and sowing discord through fake social media posts. Earlier this month Ratcliffe released a report criticizing aspects of the intelligence community assessment and suggesting the process had been rushed. The report did not address multiple investigations since then, including a report from the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee in 2020 that reached the same conclusion about Russia's influence and motives. Lawmakers from both parties have long stressed the need for an independent intelligence service. Democrats said Gabbard's reports show she has placed partisanship and loyalty to Trump over her duty and some have called for her resignation. "It seems as though the Trump administration is willing to declassify anything and everything except the Epstein files," Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement Wednesday. Warner predicted Gabbard's actions could prompt US allies to share less information for fear it would be politicized or recklessly declassified. But Gabbard enjoys strong support among Republicans. Rep. Rick Crawford, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said she and Ratcliffe were working to put the intelligence community "on the path to regaining the trust of the American people." Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence panel, said Gabbard hasn't offered any reason to ignore the many earlier investigations into Russia's efforts. "The Director is free to disagree with the Intelligence Community Assessment's conclusion that Putin favored Donald Trump, but her view stands in stark contrast to the verdict rendered by multiple credible investigations," Himes said in a statement. "Including the bipartisan report released by the Senate Intelligence Committee." (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
