IC Oversight & Authorities — 2026-05-03

Bipartisan SSCI Scrutiny Grows Over DNI Gabbard Election Security Activities and Job Security

Senate Intelligence Committee members from both parties questioned Gabbard's attendance during an FBI search of a Fulton County, Georgia elections office; Reuters and Nextgov separately reported her office seized voting machines in Puerto Rico. NOTUS reported on February 4 that the Gang of Eight would review a whistleblower complaint against Gabbard, with The Hill reporting days later that lawmakers in both chambers were scrutinizing her election-security activities. CBS News reported that following Bondi's April 2 firing as Attorney General, Trump privately considered moving her into the DNI role before sources told the outlet he wants Gabbard to remain. Trump told reporters she is "a little bit different in her thought process than me, but that doesn't make somebody not available to serve," after which Leavitt stated on Fox News he has "full confidence" in her.

Analysis
Bipartisan Gang of Eight engagement, reported by NOTUS, CBS News, and The Hill, elevates the institutional stakes beyond routine opposition scrutiny. Trump's hedge that Gabbard is "a little bit different in her thought process," offset by Leavitt's Fox News confidence statement, signals damage containment rather than settled authority. SSCI is unlikely to convene a formal hearing on her election-security activities before August 2026. A GOP-majority chair controls the calendar, no IG referral or court order has materialized, and three months have elapsed since the February whistleblower referral without a scheduled session. The bipartisan criticism may itself serve a coordinated White House purpose, providing political insulation for operations that continue through classified channels.

1 sources

Tulsi Gabbard Clings to DNI Role as Trump Polling Question, Bipartisan Scrutiny and Election Security Overreach Keep Speculation Alive - Foreign Policy Journal