The United States Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, announced on Tuesday, August 19th, the revocation of security clearances for 37 current and former intelligence officials. She also terminated any government employment or contract relationships with these individuals, citing serious violations such as “politicizing intelligence and manipulating information.”
Gabbard stated on the social platform X, “Having a security clearance is a privilege, not a right. Intelligence personnel who betray their constitutional oath and prioritize personal interests over the people and the nation have undermined the sacred trust they vowed to uphold.”
She emphasized that such actions not only jeopardize national security but also shake the security of the American people and erode the foundation of the democratic republic. “The intelligence system must always adhere to the values and principles enshrined in the Constitution, focusing on its core mission – ensuring the safety, security, and freedom of the people.”
Gabbard added that this action was carried out based on President Donald Trump’s instructions.
According to the decision, these 37 individuals will immediately lose access to any classified systems, facilities, and documents, must surrender relevant credentials, and have their government positions terminated.
She accused the individuals of “abusing public trust, politicizing intelligence, manipulating information, unauthorized disclosure of classified information, or serious violations of intelligence professional standards.” Various intelligence agencies have received instructions to review the list and enforce the measures.
While Gabbard released a non-classified list, she did not provide further details on the specific reasons for each official losing their clearance.
The list includes prominent figures in the intelligence and national security fields, such as former Deputy National Intelligence Director Stephanie O’Sullivan and key players in election security and intelligence analysis Maher Bitar and Shelby Pierson. Analyst Vinh Nguyen, who participated in drafting the 2017 “Russian interference in the US election” assessment report, is also on the list.
In recent years, Gabbard has repeatedly criticized the politicization of the intelligence community, particularly targeting Trump and his allies. The Justice Department even established a special task force to investigate related allegations.
One of the controversial focuses was the FBI-led “Crossfire Hurricane” operation. This operation investigated whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia during the 2016 election.
However, Special Prosecutor John Durham’s report indicated that the operation was based on “rough, unanalyzed, and unverified information,” criticizing the FBI for lacking rigorous analysis during the investigation and showing “confirmation bias.”
At a White House press conference on July 23rd, Gabbard frankly stated that the officials were “conspiring to subvert the will of the American people in the 2016 election, spreading false information through the media to undermine the legitimacy of Trump’s election.”
It is currently unclear if the revocation of security clearances is directly related to “Crossfire Hurricane” or other investigations.
For a long time, Trump and his allies have indeed criticized the US intelligence community for conducting a “political witch hunt,” especially regarding the investigation into Russian interference in the US election.
As early as 2018, Trump revoked security clearances for several high-ranking officials, including former CIA Director John Brennan.
In his second term, Trump has continued to take action, revoking the security clearances of multiple former officials and law firm lawyers. In March of this year, he ordered the cancellation of security clearances for several former government officials, including former President Joe Biden, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.