National Review Op-Ed: Tulsi Gabbard: The Bold Choice to Fix a Broken Intelligence Community

Her appointment would send an unmistakable message: The days of the intelligence community operating as an unaccountable black box are over.

Washington’s swamp thrives on a system that puts entrenched bureaucrats and political insiders ahead of the American people. Nowhere is this more evident than in our intelligence community — a closed-off bureaucracy plagued by inefficiency, unaccountability, and outright hostility toward transparency and constitutionally guaranteed rights. It’s long past time for a change, and that is why I proudly support Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination for director of national intelligence.

Tulsi’s record speaks for itself. A decorated combat veteran in the Hawaii Army National Guard, she has firsthand experience with national security threats and the weight of defending our nation. In Congress, she served on the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees, tackling critical national security issues and gaining direct insight into the intelligence community’s operations and shortcomings. Unlike the bureaucrats who have run the system into the ground, Tulsi has shown the courage to speak out against the status quo, refusing to bow to political pressure.

Tulsi Gabbard has been an invaluable partner in the fight to safeguard our civil liberties and protect Americans from government overreach. When I introduced the Unplug the Internet Kill Switch Act, Tulsi helped lead the effort on a companion bill in the House. This legislation aimed to ensure that no president could use the pretense of a national emergency to restrict access to the internet, conduct email surveillance, and take control of communications facilities. Tulsi has proven herself to be committed to upholding the Constitution and standing against unchecked government power.

These are exactly the qualities we need in the leader of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence: a willingness to put results over résumés and to challenge the status quo. For far too long, high-ranking appointments have prioritized résumés over results. Look no further than Hillary Clinton, whom President Obama touted as the “most qualified” presidential candidate in 2016. Yet her glittering credentials didn’t stop her from defending the intervention in Libya that turned the region into a breeding ground for terrorism. Her tenure as secretary of state left a trail of chaos across the Middle East.

Consider Madeleine Albright, who held a Ph.D. from Columbia and was hailed as a brilliant stateswoman and secretary of state. Yet, on 60 Minutes in 1996, she justified sanctions on Iraq by saying they were “worth” the deaths of half a million children — an appalling statement that epitomized the callousness of establishment foreign policy.

Over the last 20 years, this mindset has fueled disasters across the Middle East, from destabilizing interventions in Iraq and Libya to the quick collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban’s takeover following our botched withdrawal. These aren’t just failures of judgment — they’re the tragic results of trusting Ivy League pedigrees and polished credentials over principled leadership. The establishment’s track record of endless war and chaos speaks for itself.

Our intelligence agencies are filled with “qualified” individuals — at least by Washington’s standards — but their actions have repeatedly betrayed the public trust. In 2003, the CIA’s false claims about weapons of mass destruction led to a disastrous war in Iraq. The NSA’s mass surveillance programs illegally spied on millions of Americans, while the FBI misused FISA warrants to surveil a Trump campaign adviser. Former FBI director James Comey admitted to leaking memos to trigger a special counsel investigation into Donald Trump, and intelligence agencies selectively leaked information during the 2016 election to damage political candidates. This culture of secrecy and unaccountability has eroded public trust, undermined our national security, and proven that even the “most qualified” individuals can fail spectacularly when insulated from accountability. It’s time to reform these agencies and demand transparency, integrity, and results.

Tulsi would know better than almost anyone about the need to reform America’s security apparatus. When the Biden administration placed Tulsi on a TSA terrorist watchlist, she described this egregious abuse of power as “the ultimate betrayal” by an establishment that sees her “as a threat to their power.” Whistleblowers revealed that the program even deployed multiple air marshals to monitor her flights — an alarming example of rogue agencies weaponizing their authority to intimidate dissenters. Tulsi’s experience is a stark reminder of what happens when government power goes unchecked, and why we must remain vigilant in defending the civil liberties of every American.

Donald Trump was elected because Americans saw the failures of a broken system and demanded a leader to fix it. Tulsi Gabbard will be a key ally in helping President-elect Trump reform our intelligence agencies to ensure they serve the American people — not work against them. Like Trump, Tulsi has been vilified and ridiculed by the D.C. establishment precisely because she threatens the privileges and power of the ruling class. The swamp fears reformers who expose its failures and challenge its grip on power, and Tulsi has proven she’s willing to take on that fight.

Several of President-elect Trump’s nominees have a history of standing on the side of individual liberty against government power and coercion. Kash Patel exposed the abuse of surveillance authorities to concoct a bogus investigation into the 2016 Trump presidential campaign. Dr. Marty Makary and Dr. Jay Bhattacharya refused to unthinkingly accept the medical establishment’s groupthink during the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as stood up for natural immunity and against lockdowns and mandates. Pete Hegseth amplified the need for patriotism and accountability in government. And RFK Jr. continues to stand against special interests in public health and for transparency.

Tulsi embodies the qualities Washington finds intolerable: fearlessness, principle, and an unwavering commitment to challenging corruption. Her appointment would send an unmistakable message: The days of the intelligence community operating as an unaccountable black box are over. Under her leadership, this critical institution would prioritize the freedoms and security of the American people — not the self-preservation of the bureaucratic elite.

The failures of our intelligence apparatus are well-documented. Time and again, the so-called “experts” have betrayed American values, disregarded constitutional rights, and failed to protect the people they were sworn to serve. With Tulsi at the helm, that era of failure and impunity will come to an end. It’s time to put the intelligence community on notice: Reform is not just necessary — it’s here.