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Donald Trump and his team have begun their new presidential term by intervening in the domestic affairs of America’s closest intelligence and security allies. At the same time, Trump has launched a purge within U.S. intelligence agencies — a move that some experts describe as an overhaul of the intelligence community's status quo. As part of the restructuring, Trump intends to appoint Tulsi Gabbard, a former Democrat, to serve as Director of National Intelligence, making her responsible for overseeing all U.S. intelligence agencies. Gabbard, who became disillusioned with U.S. military operations in Iraq and Syria, famously went on a “fact-finding” trip to meet Bashar al-Assad in Damascus in 2017. Meanwhile, the U.S. remains a core member of “Five Eyes” — the world's largest intelligence-sharing alliance. A former CIA officer told The Insider that trust within “Five Eyes” is already beginning to fray.
Tulsi Gabbard nominated as Director of National Intelligence
The U.S. Senate has advanced the confirmation of Tulsi Gabbard to serve as Director of National Intelligence (DNI), paving the way for her formal appointment. In this role, Gabbard will oversee 18 intelligence agencies and serve as Trump’s chief intelligence advisor.
Trump nominated Gabbard for the position in November, and she has since been engaged in a contentious confirmation process. Today’s procedural vote was split along party lines, with 52 Republicans in favor and 46 Democrats opposed, while two senators were absent. Key Republicans Mitch McConnell and Lisa Murkowski, previously seen as potential opponents, backed her nomination. The vote was conducted under cloture rules, limiting debate to 30 hours before a final decision, which is expected within the next day or two.
Who is Tulsi Gabbard?
Tulsi Gabbard is a U.S. Army veteran and former congresswoman from Hawaii (2013–2021). In 2004, she voluntarily deployed to Iraq with the Army National Guard as part of a medical unit. In 2008, she worked in counterterrorism and logistics in Kuwait. Following her military service, Gabbard became an outspoken critic of American interventionist policies, opposing U.S. involvement in Iraq, Libya, and Syria.
In 2017, she “secretly” traveled to Syria and met with Bashar al-Assad, then spoke with CNN’s Jake Tapper about the trip soon afterwards. The visit sparked intense criticism and later resurfaced during her confirmation hearings.
In 2019, Gabbard launched a 2020 presidential bid, but eventually endorsed Joe Biden. However, in October 2022, she left the Democratic Party, calling it an “elitist cabal of warmongers.» By 2024, she had endorsed Trump and officially joined the Republican Party.
“We meet, eat, drink and banter — but the level of trust is damaged”
The Trump administration has launched major intelligence reforms, including an early retirement offer for CIA employees, providing compensation equal to eight months’ salary. Similar voluntary exit packages have been extended to personnel from the FBI, NSA, and Defense Intelligence Agency. These moves have sparked concerns among former intelligence officials, who warn that such cuts could undermine the organizations’ operational effectiveness.
Trump’s intelligence policies are also having an impact on international cooperation. The “Five Eyes” alliance — a top-tier intelligence-sharing partnership between the U.S., UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand — is at risk of losing its effectiveness, former CIA officer John Sipher told The Insider:
“It is indeed true that [the] NSA and GCHQ are intertwined technically and bureaucratically and it would be hard for Britain to hide signals intel. On the HUMINT side, it is easy and already done all the time. We still meet, eat, drink and banter, but simply don't share our most sensitive material. There is no doubt that the level of trust is damaged and each of the partners will be more careful in what they share, despite what they might say publicly. We will never know what we are missing.”
Concerns about the level of trust between American and British intelligence agencies dates back to 2017, when Trump allies accused the GCHQ of helping Barack Obama “wiretap” Trump during the 2016 election.
At the start of his new term, Trump confidant Elon Musk visited the UK and launched a verbal attack on UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, accusing him of enabling criminal gangs. At the same time, Musk publicly praised far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
Trump has also called Canada’s sovereignty into question, suggesting it should become the 51st U.S. state. Last month, he proposed Canada “merge” with the U.S., arguing it would, among other things, be “totally secure from the threat of the Russian and Chinese ships constantly surrounding them.” Trump has repeatedly criticized European NATO members over defense spending, arguing that many of the 32 countries that make up the alliance fail to meet the 2% GDP target. In 2018, he tweeted: “NATO members must pay more, and the U.S. must pay less. Very unfair!”