Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has released a minimally redacted set of declassified documents related to the Trump-Russia collusion investigation, despite objections from within the CIA and other intelligence agencies, according to The Washington Post. The move, reportedly authorized by President Donald Trump, involved the release of a 46-page House Intelligence Committee report with support from CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Gabbard stated the report reveals what she called “the most egregious weaponization and politicization of intelligence in American history.” It follows her earlier release of classified communications from senior Obama-era officials, which she claims laid the groundwork for a false narrative tying Trump to Russian election interference.
On social media platform X, Gabbard wrote that, per Trump’s directive, she declassified the report to expose how the Obama administration “manufactured the January 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment,” promoting what she described as the “LIE” that Russia helped Trump win the 2016 election. She accused officials of conspiring with media outlets to delegitimize Trump’s presidency, calling it a “years-long coup.”
The report identifies five key findings, including allegations that former CIA Director John Brennan and others fabricated the Russia narrative, suppressed intelligence suggesting Putin anticipated a Clinton win, and manipulated findings using unreliable sources.
A source told The Washington Post that while the CIA proposed redactions and edits, Gabbard was under no obligation to accept them, as she holds superior declassification authority. Trump approved the final version, with minimal redactions and no changes.