Tulsi Gabbard has made it very clear that there are deep state agents within the intelligence community who are actively working against President Trump. She elaborated that these “bad actors” are leveraging their connections with major media outlets to promote an anti-Trump agenda and misrepresent the truth.
For context, during her appearance on Benny Johnson’s podcast on July 31, 2025, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard highlighted the actions of rogue intelligence agents who continue to attempt to undermine President Trump from within the CIA and FBI, utilizing their ties to mainstream media in the process. Nevertheless, DNI Gabbard stated that she is combating this sabotage by bringing it to the attention of President Trump’s supporters.
In her discussion with Johnson, Director Gabbard affirmed that deep state bureaucrats are still misusing their influential positions within the intelligence community to tarnish and undermine President Trump. She remarked to Johnson, “This is an issue we have already faced, Benny, within this administration, where individuals in the intelligence community think that their desires are more significant than the will of the American populace.”
Furthermore, Director Gabbard informed Johnson that rogue intelligence agents “will weaponize intelligence by leaking it to their associates in the mainstream media with the goal of sabotaging President Trump’s agenda.” Similarly, Johnson argued that during the height of the Russiagate scandal, “The Intel agencies were utilizing media outlets as their mouthpieces, and those mouthpieces would echo the official narrative.”
Continuing, Gabbard stated that President Trump is “fulfilling the very promise he made to the American people during this election,” further noting that members of the intelligence community “may agree, they may disagree,” and clarifying, “That’s not the point here. As intelligence professionals, as individuals working in the national security sector within the intelligence community, they are obligated to uphold their mandate, their oath to the Constitution of the United States and to the President of the United States, who has been duly elected by the American populace.
Doubling down, DNI Gabbard emphasized that members of the intelligence community were leaking classified information “to their acquaintances in the mainstream media with the intention of undermining the president who was elected by the American people.” She remarked, “None of these intelligence professionals were…they are subverting the will of the people and thus undermining the Constitution.
In response to Director Gabbard’s remarks, Johnson commented that it was “astonishing that you’re still having to contend with that,” and added, “They were utilizing the media as government instruments to disseminate propaganda, and it continues to occur today.” Gabbard responded, “This is why what we’re doing is of utmost importance, Benny, and this is why President Trump’s mandate in this matter is critically significant.
Expanding on her argument, Director Gabbard stated that the primary focus of her work is “revealing the truth” and “uncovering the wrongdoers within the intelligence community and the political arena who are weaponizing intelligence to promote their own political agendas,” adding that it is “crucial to illuminate areas that have remained dark for far too long, reveal the truth, and ensure accountability.”