Gabbard Says Trump Requested Her Presence at Georgia FBI Search/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told lawmakers she attended an FBI search of Georgia’s election center at the request of former President Trump. She also facilitated a call between Trump and FBI agents but denied influencing the investigation. Her presence has sparked Democratic concerns over misuse of intelligence authority and election interference claims.
Gabbard Georgia Election Search Quick Looks
- DNI Tulsi Gabbard says Trump asked her to attend FBI Georgia election search.
- The FBI executed a warrant at Fulton County’s election center, seizing 2020 ballots.
- Gabbard confirmed she facilitated a brief call between Trump and FBI agents.
- She denies giving instructions or interfering in law enforcement operations.
- Her presence raised alarms due to her intelligence role being unrelated to domestic probes.
- Gabbard cited possible foreign threats to U.S. voting systems as her reason for involvement.
- She didn’t see the search warrant or clarify why Fulton County was targeted.
- Democrats fear efforts to cast doubt on the 2020 election or future races.
- Audits and courts found no evidence of widespread 2020 voter fraud in Georgia.
- Her actions are linked to broader concerns over politicization of intelligence leadership.
Deep Look: Gabbard Attended Georgia Election Search at Trump’s Request
WASHINGTON (AP) — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard confirmed in a letter to lawmakers Monday that her participation in the FBI’s search of Georgia’s Fulton County election center last week was prompted by a direct request from President Donald Trump.
The FBI’s search involved the seizure of hundreds of boxes containing ballots and documents from the 2020 election in Georgia’s most populous—and heavily Democratic—county. The operation immediately drew scrutiny not only for its scale but also for Gabbard’s presence, which many considered outside the scope of her role as the top U.S. intelligence official.
In the letter sent to Democratic leaders of the House and Senate intelligence committees, Gabbard acknowledged she had helped arrange a phone call between Trump and FBI agents involved in the search. She emphasized that the interaction was merely a gesture of appreciation from Trump to the agents and denied that either she or the former president gave any orders or tried to sway the investigation.
“While visiting the FBI Field Office in Atlanta, I thanked the FBI agents for their professionalism and great work,” Gabbard wrote. “I facilitated a brief phone call for the President to thank the agents personally. He did not ask any questions, nor did he or I issue any directives.”
This admission confirmed a New York Times report earlier in the day that detailed the unusual interaction, raising alarms among Democrats about the appearance of political influence over a federal investigation.
The presence of the director of national intelligence at a domestic law enforcement search raised red flags across Capitol Hill. The DNI is traditionally focused on foreign threats, not domestic investigations, and Gabbard’s involvement was viewed by critics as a possible overreach of her statutory authority.
Gabbard justified her presence by citing concerns over foreign interference in election infrastructure. She claimed she was acting under her broad statutory powers to monitor election security and potential foreign influence. She said electronic voting systems had shown vulnerabilities in past intelligence findings and argued her role was necessary to ensure future elections are protected.
“To preserve the integrity of our elections, we must understand whether there has been foreign or other malign interference in our elections,” she wrote, though she did not offer details or specify how her presence at this specific search contributed to that effort. She also admitted she had not seen the warrant used by the FBI, nor did she clarify why Fulton County was selected for federal scrutiny.
Fulton County has long been the center of Trump’s election-related grievances. The president has repeatedly and falsely claimed that voter fraud in the county contributed to his 2020 loss in Georgia to Joe Biden. However, audits, legal challenges, and investigations—many led by Republicans—have found no evidence of widespread voter fraud.
Democrats are expressing concern that Gabbard’s actions may be an attempt to cast renewed suspicion on the 2020 election results or lay the foundation for contesting future elections. Gabbard has previously echoed the Trump administration’s skepticism of intelligence reports detailing Russian interference in the 2016 election, adding to unease about her current role.
Her letter also left unanswered questions about the limits of her involvement. While she insists she didn’t interfere, her facilitation of direct communication between Trump and FBI agents during an active investigation remains a rare and controversial action.
The 2024 election, which Trump won, was widely considered smooth and without significant issues. But the renewed focus on the 2020 race, especially in a sensitive location like Georgia, suggests that debates over election integrity may continue to shape the political narrative heading into future campaigns.
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