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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said Tuesday that her office has revoked the security clearances of 37 current and former intelligence officials, following a directive from President Donald Trump.
In a statement posted on X, Gabbard said those affected “abused the public trust by politicizing and manipulating intelligence, leaking classified intelligence without authorization, and/or committing intentional egregious violations of tradecraft standards.”
“Being entrusted with a security clearance is a privilege, not a right,” she wrote. “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 doing so, they undermine our national security, the safety and security of the American people, and the foundational principles of our democratic republic.”
Gabbard said the move was intended to restore confidence in U.S. intelligence agencies.
“The intelligence community must be committed to upholding the values and principles enshrined in the U.S. Constitution and maintain a laser-like focus on our mission of ensuring the safety, security and freedom of the American people,” she said.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence did not release the names or positions of those whose clearances were revoked, and it remains unclear whether some of them still hold active roles in government.
Gabbard has emphasized accountability as a priority since taking over the nation’s intelligence apparatus. The action marks the first large-scale clearance revocation of her tenure.
The backdrop to Tuesday’s announcement includes years of controversy surrounding the intelligence community’s handling of the 2016 election and its aftermath. Former officials faced scrutiny over unverified allegations of links between Trump’s campaign and Russia, which led to FBI surveillance of one of his advisers.
The Justice Department’s inspector general later identified errors in that process, and a special counsel concluded there was no evidence of a criminal conspiracy. Trump and his allies have long claimed the intelligence community was weaponized against him, with Gabbard’s move representing one of the sharpest rebukes to date of those who served during that period.
The White House has not issued further comment beyond Trump’s directive, and Gabbard’s office has not said whether additional reviews of intelligence personnel are underway.