Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has terminated over 100 intelligence officers for explicit discussions on government chat platforms, citing “egregious violations of trust” as she works to restore professional standards in the intelligence community.
Top Takeaways
- Over 100 intelligence community employees were fired for participating in inappropriate discussions on NSA’s “Intelink” messaging platform
- Topics discussed included gender-reassignment surgery, artificial genitalia, hormone therapy, polyamory, and political topics
- All terminated officers will have their security clearances revoked
- The move is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to “clean house” in the intelligence community
- A separate case involving intelligence officers in diversity programs is under judicial review
Sweeping Terminations Follow Inappropriate Use of Government Systems
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has terminated more than 100 federal intelligence employees who participated in explicit conversations on an internal government messaging system. The firings affect personnel from across multiple intelligence agencies who used the NSA’s platform for discussions deemed unprofessional and inappropriate for government communications systems.
The directive issued by Gabbard not only terminates the employees but also revokes their security clearances. The investigation was launched following reports from conservative activist Christopher Rufo, who obtained and published transcripts of the chat conversations. According to officials familiar with the matter, these conversations included explicit discussions about gender-reassignment surgeries, artificial genitalia, hormone therapy, and polyamory.
LEAKED: NSA and CIA officials express their desire to have hermaphrodite babies in order to advance trans ideology. “An intersex birth would be a great opportunity to raise a kid as non-binary and let them choose later.”
The people who run the surveillance state are insane. pic.twitter.com/vW0Xi7UVOn
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) February 25, 2025
Violation of Professional Standards
Gabbard has been outspoken about her reasons for the mass termination, emphasizing the serious breach of professional conduct. In statements to media outlets, she characterized the behavior as unacceptable for those entrusted with national security responsibilities.
“There are over 100 people from across the intelligence community that contributed to and participated in… what is really just an egregious violation of trust. What to speak of, like basic rules and standards around professionalism,” said Gabbard.
The National Security Agency acknowledged the situation in a statement, noting that the platforms in question are intended for mission-focused collaboration. “IC collaboration platforms are intended to drive mission outcomes. Potential misuse of these platforms by a small group of individuals does not represent the community. Investigations to address this misuse of government systems are ongoing,” the NSA stated.
Part of Broader Administration Mandate
Gabbard framed these terminations as part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to reform the intelligence community and restore public trust. The transcripts revealed by Rufo allegedly included political discussions, some of which were critical of Gabbard herself, as well as comments celebrating the death of conservative figure Pat Robertson.
“So today’s action and holding these individuals accountable is just the beginning of what we’re seeing across the Trump administration, which is carrying out the mandate the American people gave him, clean house, root out that rot and corruption and weaponization and politicization,” she said,” Gabbard emphasized.
The move has garnered support from prominent figures including Elon Musk, who commented that a “MAJOR house cleaning” was needed within the intelligence community. This sentiment aligns with campaign promises to reform federal agencies and address what the administration views as inappropriate politicization of intelligence functions.
Related Legal Challenges
Separately, Gabbard and the CIA are involved in another controversy regarding the planned dismissal of intelligence officers who were working on diversity programs. A federal judge has temporarily halted these dismissals pending review, with the officers requesting reassignment rather than termination. Their attorney argues that the planned firings violate due process regulations, and a ruling on this separate case is expected soon.
This broader reform effort reflects the administration’s stated goal of refocusing intelligence agencies on their core national security missions while addressing what they characterize as unprofessional conduct that undermines the credibility and effectiveness of America’s intelligence apparatus.
