President Donald Trump’s Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, is taking decisive steps to address misconduct among federal employees in the intelligence community. This follows reports of inappropriate behavior related to discussions on an internal agency messaging board.
On Tuesday, Gabbard issued a directive aimed at terminating the employment and revoking the security clearances of those involved in explicit and obscene chatrooms on the National Security Agency’s (NSA) “Intelink” platform. She emphasized that over 100 individuals from across various intelligence agencies participated in what she called a serious breach of trust and a violation of basic professional standards.
Gabbard spoke to the media, stating, “What these people engaged in represents a significant violation of trust.” The investigation concerns the alleged misuse of the NSA messaging platform for discussing personal sexual fantasies under the banner of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Chat logs obtained by the Manhattan Institute revealed discussions among employees from agencies like the Defense Intelligence Agency and U.S. Naval Intelligence about topics including gender-reassignment surgery and hormone therapy. Following the release of these chat logs, the NSA confirmed it is actively investigating the use of its platform for such inappropriate conversations.
Gabbard noted that many of these abuses had gone unchecked, suggesting a long history of accountability issues within the intelligence community. “When you see the kind of behavior these individuals exhibited, it highlights an alarming lack of oversight. Our intelligence agencies must be dedicated to their core mission of safeguarding the American people,” she stated.
The controversial chats emerged from DEI-focused groups within the NSA, which have faced criticism for their focus. Gabbard is committed to ensuring accountability and has pledged that those involved will face consequences. She mentioned that immediate actions were taken to shut down the problematic chat groups once it was brought to light.
This development is part of a broader initiative by the Trump administration to refocus the intelligence community on its primary responsibilities, free from distractions caused by the previous administration’s policies on DEI. Gabbard’s ongoing actions are seen as a crucial step toward restoring integrity and trust in the nation’s intelligence operations.
