DNI Tulsi Gabbard Put Trump On Call With FBI Agents After Fulton Raid
Gabbard facilitated a brief phone call in which President Donald Trump thanked FBI agents after the Fulton County elections office search, she said.
Overview
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard put President Donald Trump on the phone with FBI agents who executed the Fulton County elections office search that seized roughly 700 boxes of 2020 election records, two sources said.
Gabbard told Sen. Mark Warner and Rep. Jim Himes in a letter that Trump 'tasked ODNI with taking all appropriate actions' toward election integrity and that 'He did not ask any questions, nor did he or I issue any directives,' she wrote.
The FBI declined to comment on the call, Gabbard's office provided her letter to congressional intelligence leaders in response to inquiries, and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said he did not believe the president was involved while later defending presidential contact with agents, officials said.
Fulton County officials said the search seized roughly 700 boxes of 2020 election materials and announced the county will challenge the legality of the FBI's search and seizure, officials confirmed.
Former senior FBI officials and legal analysts warned that the president's direct communication with investigators could complicate future prosecutions by providing defense arguments about vindictive or tainted prosecutions, and accounts of Trump's role remain contested, sources said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as a factual rebuttal to 2020-election claims by foregrounding established findings ("no evidence of widespread voter fraud"), prioritizing officials and experts who dismiss fraud allegations, and stressing political consequences of Trump’s continued focus. Editorial choices include skeptical source selection, contextual background, and emphasis on investigation uncertainty.
Sources (16)
FAQ
The FBI executed a search warrant at the Fulton County Elections and Operations Hub, seizing approximately 700 boxes of 2020 election materials, including ballots, to investigate for irregularities.
Gabbard facilitated a brief phone call for President Trump to thank the FBI agents for their work; she stated that Trump did not ask any questions nor did he or she issue any directives.
Gabbard stated her presence was requested by President Trump and executed under her statutory authority to coordinate intelligence related to election security, counterintelligence, foreign influence, and cybersecurity.
Former FBI officials and legal analysts warn that direct presidential communication with investigators could complicate prosecutions by suggesting vindictive or tainted processes; Democrats question Gabbard's involvement in a domestic probe.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche stated Gabbard was coincidentally in Atlanta and not part of the grand jury investigation, emphasizing administration coordination on election integrity.
History
10 sources