Mark Warner: Tulsi Gabbard is ‘not qualified’

Warner Critiques Gabbard’s Qualifications for DNI

On Friday, Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.), who serves as the vice-chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, expressed strong doubts about Tulsi Gabbard’s suitability for the director of national intelligence role. Speaking to moderator Peter Baker at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, Warner stated, “Tulsi Gabbard is not capable of becoming a director of national intelligence. I believe she is trying to politicize the workforce and manipulate the outputs, which is making America less safe.”

This criticism came shortly before Gabbard released her report, where Obama-era officials claimed there was a “distasteful scheme” to alter intelligence assessments regarding Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Gabbard described this initiative as an attempt to perpetuate a coup aimed at undermining the American people’s will and preventing the president from executing his responsibilities.

The intelligence community has reached a consensus that Russia indeed sought to sway the 2016 election. Warner rejected Gabbard’s report, referencing a Senate Intelligence Committee investigation that affirmed the “Russian government has directed extensive activities on the US election infrastructure.” He emphasized that this conclusion received unanimous support from both Democrats and Republicans on the committee.

Critics of Gabbard have pointed out that social media was utilized to bolster President Trump’s candidacy during that election. In response to Warner’s remarks, officials from the DNI labeled him a “loser.” Alexa Henning, Gabbard’s chief of staff, took to social media platform X to dismiss Warner’s insights as overly politicized, asserting, “We don’t think we need advice from someone who risks being implicated in a politicized intelligence situation like the Russian investigations.”

The president and his supporters have consistently criticized inquiries into Russian activities, often trivializing the matter. Warner’s critiques, which included discussions with Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), also touched on the administration’s choices regarding the National Security Agency’s leadership and recent controversies surrounding the Signal Group Chat. “You’re attempting to generate a politicized product,” he remarked, referring to high officials discussing the Houthis attacks in their chats. He noted the historical implications of such politicization, recalling past military engagements.