 "Gabbard vs Kash Patel round-2 building up? FBI’s letter on counterintelligence says...")
In renewed infighting among US President Donald Trump’s loyalists, FBI Director Kash Patel has been leading a pushback against efforts to appoint Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), as the counter-intelligence czar in the administration. This marks the second recent clash between the two.
In a letter to Congress last week, the FBI “strongly” opposed efforts to make Gabbard the overall head of counter-intelligence operations for the federal government, according to The New York Times.
Broadly, counter-intelligence refers to the pursuit of foreign spies within the government, particularly across military, security, and intelligence agencies. For many decades, Patel’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has served as the lead agency in counter-intelligence efforts.
While the FBI’s letter to Congress was unsigned, officials told The Times it could not have been sent without Patel’s approval.
Previously, Patel and Gabbard were embroiled in a turf war when a senior intelligence official accessed FBI files related to the assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. Patel was reportedly incensed, viewing the move as an overreach and an encroachment into his domain.
Patel makes case against Gabbard as counter-intelligence czar
Under Patel’s leadership, the FBI has opposed a bill that would place Gabbard in charge of federal counter-intelligence operations, according to The Times.
The bill, known as the Intelligence Authorization Act, proposes an overhaul of counter-intelligence operations, elevating Gabbard’s role from limited oversight and partial involvement to direct control of these activities.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe bill would grant Gabbard authority over all counter-intelligence work conducted by US intelligence agencies, officials familiar with the matter told The Times.
As the FBI has long been the lead federal agency in counter-intelligence efforts, such an elevation would significantly curtail its domain and reduce Patel’s influence within the intelligence community. Currently, Gabbard, as DNI, has minimal supervision over the FBI’s counter-intelligence operations.
In unusually strong language, the FBI stated it “vigorously disagrees with” and raises “strong objection” to the bill and the Office of the DNI’s stance. The agency warned that one of the bill’s proposals would “cause serious and long-lasting damage to US national security”, according to The Times.
The FBI also noted that a draft letter prepared by the Office of the DNI claimed the intelligence community supported the proposal. However, the FBI’s dissent —as one of the constituent agencies of the intelligence community— undermines the claim of consensus in that draft.
Gabbard’s latest controversy
The FBI’s pushback is the latest controversy involving Gabbard, whose appointment as DNI has been among the most contentious in Trump’s second term.
For years, Gabbard has maintained friendly ties with Russia and Russian allies, including former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
Considering her ties to Russia, Gabbar’s appointment has reportedly prompted European allies to question whether they can continue sharing intelligence confidently with the United States under her leadership. There have been reports that, due to her and Trump’s affinity with Russia, the British government has limited intelligence-sharing with the United States.
Previously, The Mail on Sunday reported that concerns within the British intelligence community were so severe that some agents operating in Russia and Ukraine were extracted as a precaution. There were fears that Gabbard’s ties to Russia could have compromised their safety.
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