The feud between Senator Mark Warner and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard just went public in full color. On July 18, 2025, Warner used his panel slot at the Aspen Security Forum to unload a three-minute attack on Gabbard’s leadership. He told the crowd she’s “not competent to be the director of national intelligence” and claimed her actions are causing U.S. allies to scale back intelligence sharing. That’s not a casual critique. That’s a direct accusation of operational damage.
Gabbard didn’t wait long to respond. Her office released a new batch of documents alleging a “treasonous conspiracy” by the Obama administration to undermine Trump’s 2016 victory. She said the files are being referred to the Department of Justice for criminal review. The report claims senior intelligence officials manipulated assessments and coordinated media leaks to delegitimize Trump’s win. Gabbard’s deputy chief of staff, Alexa Henning, followed up with a blunt message on X: “Why would we listen to that loser Warner.”
Warner’s team tried to soften the blow after the fact. A spokesperson said the senator was expressing concern that allies “might” withhold intelligence in the future. But the damage was done. Warner had already blamed Gabbard for the firing of two NSA officials in April and accused her of politicizing assessments on Venezuela’s ties to U.S.-based criminal networks. He also cited her participation in Signal group chats about military strikes in Yemen, which he said undermined classified protocols.
Gabbard has defended her record. She says the officials she removed were politicized and that her overhaul is meant to restore integrity. She denies any role in the NSA firings and says no classified material was discussed in the Signal threads. She also claims the Five Eyes alliance is still intact and that intelligence sharing remains stable.
Gabbard was excluded from recent war planning sessions and skipped congressional briefings on the Iran strikes. Trump reportedly rebuked her privately after she posted a video warning about nuclear escalation. But she remains publicly aligned with his policies and continues to push for declassification of Obama-era intelligence operations.
This is not a quiet turf war. It’s a full-blown fracture between the Senate Intelligence Committee and the sitting DNI. And it’s happening while the intelligence community is under pressure to reform, streamline, and depoliticize. Gabbard promised to clean house. Warner says she’s burning it down.
Sources:
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/18/warner-gabbard-aspen-00463365
https://www.yahoo.com/news/top-dem-deflates-gabbard-obama-184041494.html
https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/press-release-warner-criticizes-dni-gabbards-speech-political-rally
