Lt. Col. Tulsi Gabbard: Why I Am the Right Choice to Lead the Office of National Intelligence | Opinion

I’m honored and grateful to President Donald J. Trump for his trust and confidence in nominating me to serve our country as the Director of National Intelligence. I am especially honored to be nominated for this role at a time when trust in the intelligence community is at an all-time low, and the world is more dangerous than ever, given the national security failures of the Biden administration.

But it didn’t start with President Biden. For too long, faulty, inadequate and weaponized intelligence has led to costly failures, which have undermined our national security and constitutional freedoms.

The most obvious example is the invasion of Iraq, which was based upon a failure of intelligence. This disastrous decision led to the deaths of thousands of American soldiers and countless people in the Middle East. It led to mass migration and regional destabilization, and it undermined the security and stability of our European allies. And it led to the rise of ISIS, the strengthening of al-Qaeda and other Islamist Jihadist groups, and the emboldening of Iran.

Unfortunately, there are many more. President Trump’s reelection is a clear mandate from the American people to break this cycle of failure, end the weaponization and politicization of the intelligence community (IC), and begin to restore trust in those who have been charged with the critical task of securing our nation.

If confirmed as DNI, I will do my very best to fulfill this mandate and bring leadership to the intelligence community with a laser like focus on our essential mission. That mission is clear: It is to ensure the safety, security, and freedom of the American people.

As the President’s principal intelligence advisor, I will begin with leading by example, checking my own views at the door and committing to delivering intelligence that is collected, analyzed, and reported without bias, prejudice, or political influence.

During my time in both Congress and in the military, I’ve engaged with world leaders and been privy to highly classified intelligence. I know first-hand how essential accurate, unbiased, and timely intelligence is, to the President, to Congress, and to our warfighters, and the heavy cost of intelligence failures and abuses.

I will have four day one priorities:

First, to assess the global threat environment and identify where gaps in our intelligence exist, integrating intelligence elements, increasing information-sharing, and ensuring unbiased, apolitical, objective collection and analysis is provided to support President Trump and policymakers’ decision-making.

Second, I will deliver on President Trump’s commitment to the American people to end the politicization of the IC and provide focus to the IC’s essential mission, which is securing our nation.

Third, I will rebuild trust in the intelligence community through transparency and accountability.

Finally, I will assess and address efficiency, redundancy, and effectiveness across ODNI.

There were many questions during my confirmation hearing last week about Edward Snowden, who broke the law in 2013 by releasing a massive amount of highly sensitive classified information to the media, which included information that harmed our national security and revealed illegal and unconstitutional government programs that conducted mass surveillance of millions of Americans’ data.

Given the interest by committee members about whether Edward Snowden should be called a “traitor,” here’s what I shared with the Senate Intelligence Committee in the closed session about why I do not casually throw around that term: Treason is a capital offense, punishable by death, yet politicians like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former US Senator Mitt Romney have slandered me, Donald Trump Jr. and others with baseless accusations of treason. It is essential to focus on the facts, not the label. Snowden should have raised his concerns about illegal surveillance through authorized channels, such as the Inspector General or the Intelligence Committee, instead of leaking to the media.

If confirmed as the Director of National Intelligence, I would reiterate to all members of the intelligence community that I expect them to use authorized channels available to whistleblowers for any concerns. Those who choose to go outside of the many protected legal whistleblower channels to illegally disclose sensitive classified information will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

My four-point plan to prevent future Snowden-like leaks consists of:

• Proper oversight to make sure there are no illegal or unconstitutional intelligence collection programs.
• Minimizing access to highly sensitive intelligence through security clearance and classification reform, which has bipartisan support.
• Informing every person in the workforce about all legal options for whistleblowers, including the Inspector General, Ombudsman, and the Senate Intelligence Committee.
• Establishing a direct hotline directly to me for whistleblowers.

Ensuring the safety, security and freedom of the American people is a mandate of leadership that rises above partisan politics. If confirmed, my commitment to the President, to Congress, and to the American people is this: I will do my very best to find the truth, no matter where it leads, and share the truth with President Trump, his advisors, and to Congress. I promise to provide unbiased, timely, and accurate intelligence for those making decisions to protect the people of our country.

I am honored by the trust President Trump has put in me in nominating me to lead our intelligence community. I am the right person for the job.

Tulsi Gabbard is a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and served as U.S. representative for Hawaii’s 2nd congressional district from 2013 to 2021. She is President Trump’s pick to serve as Director of National Intelligence.

The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.