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Gabbard claims ‘coordinated effort’ by intelligence community to advance narrative to impeach Trump
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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released newly declassified testimony that she alleges shows a «coordinated effort» by the intelligence community to «manufacture a conspiracy» used as the basis of President Donald Trump first impeachment.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Monday released two declassified transcripts from closed-door House Intelligence Committee hearings that Gabbard’s office says show former Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson advanced as credible a whistleblower complaint based on secondhand information from an individual who had previously worked with then-Vice President Joe Biden in Ukraine. Gabbard’s office argued that, based on this and other testimony, Atkinson’s actions «weaponize[d] the whistleblower process and exceed[ed] his statutory jurisdiction.»
Atkinson’s investigation helped trigger the first impeachment of Trump by advancing what he deemed a «credible» whistleblower complaint regarding a July 2019 phone call between the president and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Former Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson «did not follow standard IG procedures and relied upon politicized, manufactured narratives» while investigating the whistleblower claim that ultimately led to Trump’s 2019 impeachment, Gabbard’s office said Monday.
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Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced on Tuesday the revocation of former intelligence officials’ credentials. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Gabbard, citing previously classified House testimony by Atkinson, said the former inspector general «aggressively advanced» his preliminary probe while relying on secondhand testimony and what she described as politicized witnesses. Gabbard’s office also charged that Atkinson «never conducted a formal or complete investigation.»
«In his own words, IC IG Atkinson recognizes that his conclusions were based on a ‘preliminary investigation,’ noting that ‘I haven’t done an investigation to determine whether they actually, in fact, took place … that all of the alleged actions actually took place,’» according to the statement from Gabbard.
Under federal law, the inspector general’s preliminary role is to determine whether a whistle-blower complaint «appears credible,» rather than to fully investigate or substantiate the underlying allegations. Atkinson did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The testimony reveals that Atkinson was aware that the primary whistleblower, whose identity has still not been officially disclosed, was a «registered Democrat» and had alerted staff on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence before submitting their «Disclosure of Urgent Concern» form, Gabbard’s office said.
The whistleblower also admitted having «worked closely with Vice President Biden» and «travelled with Biden to Ukraine and was part of conversations where LUTSENKO corruption was discussed,» according to the DNI release. Yuriy Lutsenko, Ukraine’s prosecutor general from 2016 to 2019, was the official who inherited and closed the Burisma investigation and was subsequently courted by Hunter Biden-linked lobbyists seeking to facilitate connections between the Ukrainian government and Democratic political circles, Fox News Digital previously reported.
Gabbard also accused Atkinson of ignoring any bias, highlighting testimony in which he said, «I also want to make it clear that I never considered the whistleblower to be politically biased.»
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President Donald Trump irked Americans on both sides of the aisle on Sunday night by posting an AI-generated image depicting himself as Jesus Christ. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
The office said that on the initial form submitted by the whistleblower, they admitted, «I do not have direct knowledge of private comments or communications» by Trump. Notably, whistleblower laws do not require a whistleblower to provide first-hand information, according to the National Whistleblower Center.
Gabbard’s office said one of the «key» witnesses Atkinson relied on to corroborate the whistleblower’s report during his preliminary investigation was also a co-author of the controversial 2017 intelligence community assessment on Russian collusion that Gabbard has previously said was instigated at the direction of former President Barack Obama.
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Gabbard, herself a former Democrat, accused Atkinson of having «failed to uphold his responsibility to the American people, putting political motivations over the truth.»
From left, FBI Director Kash Patel, Defense Intelligence Agency Director James Adams, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Acting Commander of the U.S. Cyber Command William Hartman, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe are seated before the Senate Committee on Intelligence hearings to examine worldwide threats on Capitol Hill Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Washington. (Jose Luis Magana/AP)
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«Deep state actors within the Intelligence Community concocted a false narrative that was used by Congress to usurp the will of the American people and impeach the duly-elected President of the United States,» said Gabbard. «And this, along with the politicization of the whistleblower process by a former CIA employee who was working hand in glove with Democrats in Congress, are egregious examples of the deep state playbook on how to weaponize the Intelligence Community.»
She added that «exposing these tactics and showing how they undermine the fabric of our democratic republic furthers the critical cause of transparency and accountability and will help prevent future abuse of power.»
Democratic lawmakers largely dismissed the disclosures from Gabbard, framing the declassification as an attempt by the DNI to win favor from Trump.
«This is a nothingburger — just another sad attempt by Tulsi Gabbard to get in Donald Trump’s good graces,» Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the ranking member on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told Politico’s NatSec Daily newsletter.
Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, also criticized the declassification on X.
«Everyone can read the transcript of Trump’s phone call to extort President Zelenskyy for dirt on Biden. That was an impeachable offense, and no amount of dust kicking and sycophancy can obscure it,» Himes wrote. «Had Joe Biden made that call, Republicans would have burned the place down.»
Fox News Digital reached out to House and Senate Intelligence Committee Democrats for additional comment.
congress, cia, investigations, trump impeachment inquiry, tulsi gabbard
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El nuevo primer ministro de Hungría cuestionó a Viktor Orbán y aseguró que desarmará «el régimen mafioso»
El futuro primer ministro de Hungría, el conservador Péter Magyar, dijo este lunes que quiere una transición “corta y rápida” para empezar a desmontar lo que llamó como el “régimen mafioso” creado por el ultranacionalista Viktor Orbán en los 16 años que gobernó el país con mayorías absolutas.
“No tenemos tiempo que perder, el país fue robado y endeudado. Somos el país más pobre y corrupto de la Unión Europea ahora. Los húngaros votaron por el cambio. Tenemos que cambiar el régimen, porque el país fue dirigido por un grupo criminal organizado”, afirmó Magyar, cuyo partido Tisza logró 138 de los 199 escaños del Parlamento en las elecciones del domingo.
Magyar fue hasta hace sólo dos años un miembro del Fidesz, el partido de Orbán, y reconoció que fue un gran admirador del político ultranacionalista.
“Queremos construir un país basado en el Estado de derecho democrático, que respeta a los mayores, protege a los menores y la propiedad privada”, afirmó el líder de Tisza. Además, acusó a Orbán de haber hecho propaganda de odio y de haber dividido a los húngaros.
Las violaciones de normas comunitarias deterioraron las relaciones de Hungría con la Unión Europea, que mantiene congelados miles de millones de fondos por la vulneración de Orbán del Estado de derecho.
Acercamiento a la UE
Magyar adelantó, en un encuentro con los medios, que planea mejorar las deterioradas relaciones de Hungría con la UE y con Ucrania y devolver al país a la Corte Penal Internacional (CPI), de la que Orbán la sacó en apoyo del primer ministro israelí, Benjamín Netanyahu, a quien ese tribunal acusa de crímenes de guerra en Gaza.
También afirmó que mantendrá una relación pragmática con Israel y se refirió a los vínculos entre los dos países y a la presencia de una importante comunidad judía en Hungría. “No vamos a aceptar ninguna forma de antisemitismo”, aseguró. Peter Magyar derrotó a Viktor Orban en las elecciones del domingo en Hingría (Foto: REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo)
En relación a Ucrania, prometió que no aplicará el veto de Orbán al préstamo de 90.000 millones de la Unión Europea (UE) a Ucrania, para apoyarla frente a la invasión rusa, ya que Hungría negoció en su momento no tener que participar en ese crédito.
Orbán, el principal aliado de Moscú dentro de la UE, bloqueó esa ayuda en represalia por el corte de los suministros de petróleo ruso que llegan a Hungría a través de territorio ucraniano por el oleoducto Druzhba, dañado por ataques de Moscú en enero pasado.
Leé también: De “el Papa es débil” a “no le tengo miedo”: el fuerte cruce entre Donald Trump y León XIV
Pero Magyar respaldó la postura de Orbán de cuestionar la entrada de Ucrania en la UE, y argumentó que un país en guerra no puede negociar ese proceso y que está aún muy lejos de cumplir las condiciones para el ingreso.
El futuro primer ministro adelantó que quiere que Hungría ingrese en la Fiscalía Europea y crear una oficina para localizar los fondos europeos que, aseguró, fueron malversados durante los gobiernos de Orbán.
Magyar afirmó que el entorno de Orbán, incluido el ministro de Exteriores, Péter Szijjártó, está en estos momentos destruyendo documentos, entre ellos algunos sobre sus relaciones con Rusia.
Por otra parte, prometió reformar la Constitución del país para que el jefe del Gobierno no pueda ejercer durante más de dos mandatos, y explicó que esa restricción se aplicará en retrospectiva a Orbán.
Duro con la inmigración
El futuro primer ministro adelantó que seguirá aplicando una dura política antiinmigración y que mantendrá las vallas que Orbán levantó en 2015 en la frontera sur del país para impedir las entradas irregulares.
El tema migratorio fue uno de los puntos de choque entre la UE y Orbán, que lleva años hablando de supuestos planes para traer a Europa a millones de inmigrantes de África y Asia.
En todo caso, Magyar se mostró convencido de que puede lograr un acuerdo con la UE para dejar de pagar una multa diaria de un millón de euros por violar la legislación europea en materias de asilo.
Más moderado, sin anunciar grandes cambios, se mostró con la comunidad LGBTI, que fue criminalizada especialmente durante los últimos años de Orbán en el Gobierno.
“Todo el mundo debe vivir como quiera y amar a quién quiera, mientras no dañe a otros”, afirmó.
(Con información de EFE)
hungria, Viktor Orban
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‘Smart decision’: Swalwell’s resignation spurs praise from both parties after bombshell allegations emerge
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Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., announced he was planning to resign from Congress following sexual misconduct allegations, leading top Senate Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., to praise the decision.
Meanwhile, Republicans are questioning how much top Democrats knew before the final ball dropped Monday with Swalwell’s resignation, which came just days after he suspended his California gubernatorial campaign.
Swalwell said Monday that he was «deeply sorry» to his family, staff and constituents for his «mistakes,» but stood headstrong in calling the sexual misconduct and abuse allegations against him «false.»
«I am aware of efforts to bring an immediate expulsion vote against me and other members,» Swalwell said in his announcement. «Expelling anyone from Congress without due process, within days of an allegation being made, is wrong. But, it’s also wrong for my constituents to have me distracted from my duties. Therefore, I plan to resign my seat in Congress.»
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Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, speaks during a Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing in Washington, Jan. 14, 2025. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
«It was a good decision,» added Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., when asked about Swalwell’s resignation. «You don’t have to be a rocket science to figure that out. It’s terrible – what has been alleged.»
Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., reportedly told CNN that he thought Swalwell made the right decision.
Swalwell’s decision to resign keeps Democrats from having to vote on a contentious resolution to expel Swalwell, which was expected to happen if he had not resigned.
«With a criminal investigation in the works, the move will avoid the need to answer questions immediately in an ethics investigation that might present legal dangers,» George Washington University professor and Fox News legal analyst Jonathan Turley pointed out. «Few defense attorneys would relish a client responding to an open-ended ethics investigation when the outcome seems likely expulsion.»
When asked whether she had requested Swalwell resign, Pelosi reportedly responded, «Oh, I think that was his decision. I think it’s a smart decision to make,» according to Politico reporter Riley Rogerson.
Furthermore, when asked whether she had any previous idea about the sexual misconduct allegations, Pelosi responded, «none whatsoever,» Rogerson also noted. Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., a longtime friend and colleague of Arizona who faced heat for defending him, said minutes before Swalwell’s resignation that he «had no knowledge of the allegations of assault, harassment, and predatory behavior against Eric Swalwell.»
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Warren, who ran against Swalwell during the pairs’ bids for the presidency, said she is «glad that [Swalwell] will be gone,» adding that «people who are in positions of power and authority over others need to be held accountable when they take advantage of that position.»
Within an hour after Swalwell’s announcement that he would resign, one of Swalwell’s colleagues in the House of Representatives, Rep. Tony Gonzalez, R-Texas, followed suit and resigned as well amid similar allegations of sexual improprieties.
«There is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. When Congress returns tomorrow, I will file my retirement from office. It has been my privilege to serve the great people of Texas,» Gonzales said.
Reps. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, and Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., have both been embroiled in sexual misconduct allegations from accusers. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc; Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images )
Gonzalez last month said he would not run for reelection, so it is uncertain what may change. If Gonzalez and Swalwell left tomorrow, the slim margin in the House between Republicans and Democrats would not change.
Republican reactions to Swalwell’s resignation Monday mirrored the praise from Democrats. Republican frontrunner in the California gubernatorial race Steve Hilton also slammed «career politicians» for letting Swalwell «get away with it.»
«Of course Eric Swalwell had to drop out of the California governor’s race. The question is, why was he ever in it, knowing he had all this going on?» Hilton told Fox News Digital.
«First smart thing he’s done,» said Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who added that Gonzales «needs to follow his lead» right before he actually did.
«Eric, you did the right thing by resigning. However, don’t you dare say there weren’t grounds for your expulsion, because there absolutely were,» Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., said after Swalwell’s announcement he would be resigning. «He made the correct decision, but there still needs to be a full-fledged criminal investigation. Based on what I’m hearing, he may go to jail.»
Rep Swalwell plays basketball in pool during 2025 government shutdown. (Eric Swalwell via X)
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Other Republicans questioned how much Democrats knew before the allegations of sexual misconduct became public against Swalwell.
«The mainstream media doesn’t attack a Democrat unless it helps a separate Democrat. It’s axiomatic. The Swalwell episode proves that in technicolor,» John Ashbrook, a co-host of the «Ruthless» podcast told Fox News Digital. «If he wasn’t jeopardizing their party’s ability to hold the California Governor’s mansion, none of them would have said a word.»
«Eric Swalwell should’ve been removed from Congress long ago, yet Democrats rallied around him over and over even after it was shown he was compromised by a Chinese spy,» added Republican strategist Mark Bednar, who has worked for former Speaker Kevin McCarthy and current Transportation Secretary and former Congressman Sean Duffy. «The real questions for Democrats close to him are what did they know, when did they know it, and will they question then-Speaker Pelosi’s judgment regarding Swalwell’s committee assignments?»
Hilton echoed Bednar’s questions about how much top Democrats knew.
«Machine politicians and unions that endorsed Swalwell and threw money at him — they knew about his past. It was an open secret on Capitol Hill and Sacramento. Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, the teacher unions, SEIU — they are all totally full of it with their fake outrage and condemnation,» Hilton told Fox News Digital. «California is ruled by a corrupt Democrat elite that is collapsing into chaos, sleaze and scandal. That’s why the Swalwell stand-ins that they send to run against me in the general election, whether it’s Katie Porter or Tom Steyer, will be no better.»
eric swalwell, congress, house of representatives politics, democrats senate, democratic party, politics
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