By A clash at the highest levels of the intelligence community has deepened, with Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe increasingly at odds following Gabbard’s surprise decision to strip security clearances from 37 current and former officials and publicly disclose the identity of a veteran CIA analyst.
The move blindsided agency leadership and rattled Langley insiders. It follows earlier actions by Gabbard — including the declassification of a document on Russian election interference — that have cut directly against CIA priorities. Intelligence officials say the string of unilateral steps has inflamed tensions with Ratcliffe, according to NBC News.
Gabbard defended the purge as an order from President Donald Trump, describing it as necessary to counter the “politicization or weaponization of intelligence.” But the fallout was immediate. Among those swept up was a seasoned analyst who had contributed to preparations for a Trump-Putin summit in Alaska. She was about to take a covert assignment in Europe when Gabbard’s public disclosure and clearance revocation effectively ended her career. Former colleagues expressed shock, noting she was unaware of any specific cause.
The lack of consultation with the CIA drew pointed criticism. A U.S. official familiar with the episode said Gabbard’s office failed to coordinate adequately, raising alarms about the exposure of sensitive operations. “It’s reckless not to coordinate with the agency most affected,” said Larry Pfeiffer, a former senior intelligence official. “This could endanger officers and strain alliances.”
A spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence pushed back, insisting the revocations were aimed at individuals who had misused classified information. The spokesperson denied the CIA had been blindsided, claiming all agencies were notified in advance and no undercover officer was outed because “the list provided only names without agency affiliations.”
Media allies of the administration have taken on the reports coming from mainstream media outlets:
The legacy media is falsely claiming Tulsi Gabbard blindsided the CIA and unawarely exposed a “secret agent” by stripping the 37 security clearances, the “secret agent” being Julia Gurganus.
FACT: Gurganus served as a senior executive manager at the CIA’s Europe and Eurasia… pic.twitter.com/mzbv7584IO
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) August 28, 2025
The Federalist, however, has reported that much of this is about nothing. Sean Davis, for example, noted that one of the officials claiming to be “undercover” was actually very public about her role at the agency and had previously been part of the “Russian Hoax” to tie Trump to Putin in an effort to undermine his first term.
This is the super-duper undercover covert CIA spy that low-IQ Russia hoaxing morons are claiming was outed by Tulsi Gabbard. https://t.co/eDUHEB1hgS pic.twitter.com/d6wLMVMf6n
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) August 29, 2025
The controversy has reignited debate over whether the clearance process is being politicized. Many of those targeted served in the Obama and Biden administrations, including signatories of a 2019 letter backing Trump’s impeachment inquiry over Ukraine. Critics argue the revocations bypass due process and resemble a purge. Supporters say that it removes intelligence officials who have been actively trying to undermine the president.
The standoff between Gabbard and Ratcliffe underscores a larger struggle over the direction of U.S. intelligence. Gabbard has aligned herself closely with Trump’s efforts to root out perceived adversaries within the bureaucracy, while Ratcliffe has emphasized the CIA’s operational priorities. The bitter rift, officials warn, may erode trust and coordination within the intelligence community at a moment of mounting global threats.
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