The White House announced on Tuesday (February 3) that President Trump has appointed Tulsi Gabbard as the United States National Intelligence Director to oversee election security. This comes after she was involved in a special situation at an election office in Georgia investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt made the announcement to reporters on Tuesday.
Leavitt stated, “Tulsi Gabbard has been appointed by the President of the United States to oversee the sanctity and security of our American elections. She is working directly alongside FBI Director Kash Patel.”
She added, “This is a coordinated action across the government to ensure that the future of our elections is fair and transparent once again. I believe the President’s decision to appoint a cabinet member to investigate an issue that a majority of people want to see resolved is completely appropriate.”
As the White House announced this news, the Trump administration was explaining the controversy surrounding Gabbard’s involvement in an FBI search operation last week.
Last Wednesday, the FBI searched the election office and operations center of Fulton County, Georgia. This investigation stemmed from Trump’s allegations of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, but Gabbard’s presence at the search site sparked controversy.
In a public letter released on Monday evening, Gabbard stated that she accompanied senior FBI agents to participate in the search operation at Trump’s request. She also mentioned that she facilitated a phone call between the President and some agents involved in the operation. However, she clarified that neither Trump nor herself raised any issues or gave any directives during this conversation.