Wegmann To DNI Gabbard: How Do You Respond To Criticism That This Is More Weaponization Of Government?
RCP’s Phil Wegmann asked Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to respond to the criticism that opening an investigation into former President Obama is more of the “weaponization of government” that the Trump administration decried in 2024. “I think that’s a very disrespectful attack on the American people, who deserve the truth,” Gabbard said.
PHIL WEGMANN, REALCLEARPOLITICS: You’ve long been an opponent of weaponization in government. How do you respond to criticism that referring Obama administration officials-and even potentially the former president-is just more weaponization, and this is a potential race to the bottom? DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE TULSI GABBARD: I think that’s a very disrespectful attack on the American people, who deserve the truth. They deserve to have faith and trust in the integrity of our democratic republic, which has been undermined by President Obama through his direction of this manufactured fake intelligence document, knowing that it was filled with lies and knowing that it would and could then be used for all of the actions that came after. KAROLINE LEAVITT: And I would just add-there needs to be accountability for that weaponization, Phil, that we’ve seen. And no one has been a victim of the weaponized government more than President Trump. Not just because of this political scandal-you all recall his house was raided-so I think, you know, it’s very disingenuous for people to say, How dare they speak of former President Obama about this, based on evidence and based on intelligence, when the former president of the United States-Trump-his home was raided, when he was forced to sit in a Manhattan courtroom and many other courtrooms across the country for crimes he never committed, when he was impeached and indicted, and the entire country witnessed that. That’s the weaponization of justice. Now the president is back because the American people see the truth. Nearly 80 million Americans re-elected him back to this office, and he believes that we need to have justice and accountability. And I think the nearly 80 million Americans who re-elected him agree with that.
