Latest news with #SenateIntelligenceCommittee
The Hill
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Mark Warner: Tulsi Gabbard ‘not competent'
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, on Friday bashed Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. 'Tulsi Gabbard is not competent to be the director of national intelligence,' he told moderator Peter Baker at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado. 'I believe she is trying to politicize the workforce and work product, and that makes America less safe.' His comments came just before Gabbard released a Friday report alleging that Obama-era officials engaged in a 'treasonous conspiracy' to alter intelligence regarding Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. 'Their goal was to subvert the will of the American people and enact what was essentially a years-long coup with the objective of trying to usurp the President from fulfilling the mandate bestowed upon him by the American people,' Gabbard said. The intelligence community has long concluded that Russia sought to influence the 2016 election. Warner later on Friday railed against Gabbard's report in a statement, citing the Senate Intelligence Committee investigation, which 'reaffirmed that 'the Russian government directed extensive activity against U.S. election infrastructure.'' 'This conclusion was supported on a unanimous basis by every single Democrat and Republican on the committee,' the long-time critic of Gabbard wrote, noting that the probe found that social media was used to benefit President Trump's election. A DNI official pushed back on Warner's remarks Friday, calling him a 'loser.' 'Since he's dumb enough to fall for politicized intelligence like the debunked Russia Hoax, I think we're good not taking advice from him,' Gabbard's deputy chief of staff Alexa Henning wrote on the social media platform X. The president and his allies have railed against the Russia investigation for years, long calling it a 'hoax.' Warner's critique, which came during a panel alongside fellow Democrat Sen. Chris Coons (Del.), also focused on the administration's decision to axe the director of the National Security Agency in April as well as this spring's Signal group chat controversy. 'You have efforts on politicized product,' he said, referencing top officials using Signal to discuss strikes on the Houthis. 'Last time that happened, we had a war in Iraq.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Warner escalates critique of Gabbard at Aspen conference
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) issued one of his sharpest rebukes yet of Tulsi Gabbard on Friday, growing increasingly heated as he told an audience at a national security conference that the director of national intelligence isn't fit for the job and suggested her actions are driving U.S. allies to scale back intelligence sharing with America. 'Tulsi Gabbard is not competent to be the director of national intelligence,' Warner said during a panel at the Aspen Security Forum, as he embarked on a three-minute critique of her performance on the job since she was sworn in in February. Warner, the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, hasn't been shy about criticizing Gabbard. He made similar assertions about her competency and his concerns about allies reducing intel sharing in an appearance on an intelligence podcast last month. But his Friday comments were to a much broader audience and amounted to a wide-ranging assault on the former Democratic lawmaker's competence and credibility. They also come after Trump's own frustration with Gabbard burst into the open. A video Gabbard posted warning of the dangers of nuclear war in early June drew a strong private rebuke from Trump, POLITICO first reported, and she was not included in some of the key war planning ahead of last month's air strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. She also did not appear alongside other U.S. defense officials for congressional briefings about the impact of the attacks on Iran's nuclear program. Since then, Gabbard has reiterated her backing of Trump's policies. On Friday, she released new documents about the 2016 election that she claimed detailed a 'treasonous conspiracy' by the Obama administration to usurp Trump's win. Meanwhile, Democrats have continued to accuse Gabbard of politicizing her role and mishandling sensitive spy information, hoping their criticism lands with national-security-minded colleagues in the GOP. Warner was ready with specific examples of what he considers the former Democratic lawmaker's missteps. He accused Gabbard of firing intelligence officials who didn't 'cook the books' on an intelligence assessment tying the Venezuelan government to a criminal gang operating in the U.S. He blamed her for Trump's sudden — and still unexplained — decision to oust the top two officials at NSA this April. And, he said Gabbard had appeared on more partisan media than any previous DNI in history, where she often 'trashed' her own workforce. Warner said those instances, along with Gabbard's participation in a series of Signal chats on impending military strikes against Houthi militias in Yemen, had prompted America's closest allies to share less information with the United States. 'I do believe our Five Eye partners and others are not sharing as much information as they would,' Warner said. The Five Eyes is an intelligence sharing partnership made up of the U.S., the U.K., Australia, New Zealand and Canada. But Warner may have gotten ahead of himself. A spokesperson for Warner subsequently said the senator merely intended to express his concern that allies might in the future withhold critical intelligence from the U.S. Warner's critique of Gabbard came during a broader panel with Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) focused on Congress' decision to claw back billions of dollars in foreign aid spending. But Warner appeared to relish the opportunity to pivot to the DNI when asked whether he trusted Gabbard to be candid with U.S. intelligence — to which he quickly shot back: 'No.' A spokesperson for the Director of National Intelligence did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Warner's comments. In her confirmation hearing in January, Gabbard promised to overhaul a corrupt, bloated and biased intelligence community. She has previously argued that the senior intelligence officials she ousted over the Venezuela assessment were themselves politicized. She played no known role in Trump's dismissal of the top two NSA officials and has contested claims that U.S. allies are sharing less information with the U.S. since her appointment. In Friday's panel discussion, both Coons and Warner also offered sharp criticism of Republicans' ongoing efforts with the White House to cancel more than $9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting funding. 'The depth of the cut and the harm to our reputation, I think, is deep and broad, and this rescission has set us on a very, very bad path as an appropriator,' Coons said during the panel.
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Senate Considers Ending Its Vetting of Spy Agencies' Top Lawyers
The US Senate is considering giving up crucial authority over key intelligence officials responsible for assuring major agencies comply with legal restrictions and the Constitution. The top legal officials at the Central Intelligence Agency and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence would no longer need Senate confirmation under the latest version of a broad policy bill approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Hamilton Spectator
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Arkansas farmer launches bid to challenge US Sen. Tom Cotton's reelection bid
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A sixth-generation farmer from northeast Arkansas announced Tuesday that she is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Sen. Tom Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee who is seeking a third term. Hallie Shoffner of Newport announced her bid for the nomination to unseat Cotton, who was first elected to the Senate and is widely viewed as a potential 2028 presidential hopeful. 'I'll cut taxes for blue-collar workers, fight to restore Medicaid, save Social Security, cut the deficit, and be radically focused on bringing costs down for regular people,' Shoffner said in a release. 'I'll fight this rigged system every day — Tom Cotton's the guy who did the rigging.' Cotton was first elected to the Senate in 2014, defeating two-term Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor in a nationally watched race that drew millions of dollars in outside spending. Cotton easily won reelection in 2020 after his Democratic challenger dropped out of the race days after filing to run. Cotton, who announced in February that he was seeking reelection, has more than $8 million in the bank for his bid and the endorsement of President Donald Trump. The rest of the state's congressional delegation and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders have also endorsed Cotton. In a fundraising email to supporters Tuesday afternoon, Cotton defended his record. 'I'm proud to support President Trump and proud to have his endorsement,' Cotton wrote. 'And I'm proud to fight for secure borders, lower taxes, and a strong America because it's what's best for Arkansas.' Arkansas' 2026 primary will be held in March. The filing period for candidates in the state is Nov. 3-11. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Arkansas farmer launches bid to challenge US Sen. Tom Cotton's reelection bid
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A sixth-generation farmer from northeast Arkansas announced Tuesday that she is seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Sen. Tom Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee who is seeking a third term. Hallie Shoffner of Newport announced her bid for the nomination to unseat Cotton, who was first elected to the Senate and is widely viewed as a potential 2028 presidential hopeful. 'I'll cut taxes for blue-collar workers, fight to restore Medicaid, save Social Security, cut the deficit, and be radically focused on bringing costs down for regular people,' Shoffner said in a release. 'I'll fight this rigged system every day — Tom Cotton's the guy who did the rigging.' Cotton was first elected to the Senate in 2014, defeating two-term Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor in a nationally watched race that drew millions of dollars in outside spending. Cotton easily won reelection in 2020 after his Democratic challenger dropped out of the race days after filing to run. Cotton, who announced in February that he was seeking reelection, has more than $8 million in the bank for his bid and the endorsement of President Donald Trump. The rest of the state's congressional delegation and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders have also endorsed Cotton. In a fundraising email to supporters Tuesday afternoon, Cotton defended his record. 'I'm proud to support President Trump and proud to have his endorsement,' Cotton wrote. 'And I'm proud to fight for secure borders, lower taxes, and a strong America because it's what's best for Arkansas.' Arkansas' 2026 primary will be held in March. The filing period for candidates in the state is Nov. 3-11.
