Tulsi Yanks Security Clearances Of 37 Intel Officials Over Russiagate: ‘Abused The Public Trust’
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced Tuesday that dozens of current and former intelligence officials have been stripped of their security clearances for what she called a systematic betrayal of the American people. Acting under President Donald Trump’s direction, Gabbard revoked the access of 37 officials tied to politicized assessments, unauthorized leaks, and serious breaches of professional standards.
In a statement posted to X alongside her signed memo, Gabbard explained that these officials “abused the public trust by politicizing and manipulating intelligence, leaking classified intelligence without authorization, and/or committing intentional egregious violations of tradecraft standards.” The revocation applies immediately, terminating access to classified materials and cutting off any contracts or government employment tied to the named individuals.
Being entrusted with a security clearance is a privilege, not a right. Those in the Intelligence Community who betray their oath to the Constitution and put their own interests ahead of the interests of the American people have broken the sacred trust they promised to uphold. In… pic.twitter.com/23DUNuVAi0
— DNI Tulsi Gabbard (@DNIGabbard) August 19, 2025
Among those targeted were ex-Principal Deputy DNI Stephanie O’Sullivan and analyst Vinh Nguyen, both of whom played roles in assembling James Clapper’s controversial intelligence assessment that claimed Russia sought to boost Trump’s 2016 chances by undermining Hillary Clinton. That assessment, rushed through in under a month following a White House meeting with Barack Obama and his top aides in December 2016, has faced increasing scrutiny. Gabbard has released internal documents suggesting that a prior assessment dated December 7, 2016, had concluded Russia did not meaningfully interfere in the election, only for that conclusion to be discarded the next day after “new guidance.”
The accelerated timeline — for an assessment that experts say would normally take a year or more — raised red flags that the intelligence process had been hijacked for political purposes. Gabbard’s document releases in recent weeks have intensified pressure on Obama-era officials, exposing communications that show shifting narratives under direct White House influence.
Trump and Gabbard have both framed the purge as a long-overdue correction. “The President has directed that, effective immediately, the security clearances of the following 37 individuals are revoked,” Gabbard’s August 18 memo reads. “Their access to classified systems, facilities, materials, and information is to be terminated forthwith. Any contracts or employment with the U.S. Government by these 37 individuals is hereby terminated. Any credentials held by these individuals must be surrendered.”
By pulling clearances and making the names public, the Trump administration is signaling its intent to root out the entrenched intelligence officials behind Russiagate, an episode the president has long condemned as a hoax. Gabbard’s moves mark one of the most sweeping crackdowns on intelligence figures in modern history, reshaping the post-Obama security landscape and underscoring Trump’s campaign to dismantle what he views as a deeply politicized intelligence establishment.