Gabbard Announce Major Cuts at DNI
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard recently revealed plans to slash her agency’s budget by more than 40%, which she claims will save around $700 million each year. She called her office “bloated” and noted issues like abuse of power and unauthorized leaks of classified information.
During a recent announcement, Gabbard stated that the office has been burdened by partisanship and expressed her intent to steer the Office of the Director of National Intelligence back to its essential role—providing impartial intelligence that supports national security.
“With ODNI 2.0, we’re taking the first step toward meaningful change,” she said, adding that the focus will be on trimming unnecessary bureaucracy and eliminating problematic elements within the agency.
Gabbard echoed sentiments from the Trump administration, calling these budget cuts long overdue. She highlighted concerns over the previous administration’s alleged misuse of intelligence for political ends.
A press release from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence confirmed that this budget reduction is expected to take effect by the end of fiscal year 2025, benefiting taxpayers significantly.
This reform aims to streamline operations, allowing ODNI to better serve as the central entity for intelligence coordination and oversight.
Gabbard stated, “In the past two decades, ODNI has become inefficient, plagued by misuse of power and political interference.” She emphasized the urgent need for changes to rebuild trust with the American public, which she said has severely diminished.
According to her, the initiation of ODNI 2.0 signifies a new commitment to national security, straying from past failures while ensuring constitutional integrity and protecting citizens’ freedoms.
The Office itself was established as a response to intelligence failures noted after the September 11 attacks, primarily aiming for improved coordination among agencies like the CIA and NSA. Gabbard’s recent fact sheet indicated a move to eliminate certain groups that have been seen as politicizing intelligence, such as the External Research Council.
Changes will also involve a refocus of several departments, including those addressing foreign malign influence and cyber threats. Gabbard specified that the previous administration had misused certain intelligence resources to suppress free speech, citing an incident involving the censorship of a major news story on social media platforms.
“These groups operated under the guise of protecting against foreign interference,” she added, pointing out that partisanship had seeped into intelligence processes.
Overall, Gabbard’s proposal seems aimed at making intelligence not just relevant and actionable, but fundamentally unbiased, thereby influencing a broad array of policy decisions.
